Inconceivable
by sjshark23
Summary: Ash and May run away from their respective homes after they discover that May is pregnant with Ash's child. AdvanceShipping AshXMay. Rated T for now, may change depending on reaction. NOTE: THE IN-STORY POLL IS OVER, PLEASE DO NOT ADD ANY MORE VOTES IN THE COMMENTS. Current chapter: #17-Second Thoughts
1. A Shocking Revelation

** Hi and hello! SJShark23 here, bringing you my second AdvanceShipping tale! This is going to much more serious than the other one I wrote (_Figure It Out_), and should probably be better as well, since I'm not writing this fully on impulse. It will likely also be a lot shorter, although that (and the rating) could change depending on how the story goes, as well as the reactions from readers.**

** Couple of things before we begin. This story disregards anything past BW108 (the end of the Vertress Conference), on account of I know very little about the anime beyond that point, since I pretty much lost interest after the _Diamond & Pearl_ series ended. Also, some of the previous storylines from the anime are turned a little on their head, e.g. the whole May going to Johto thing and Ash's psychological reaction, as well as their reunion at Valour Lakefront. All other storylines are of my own invention (I should hope so, anyway).**

** Alright, now that that's cleared up, on with the show!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon; Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.**

* * *

**INCONCEIVABLE**

**CHAPTER 1-A SHOCKING REVELATION**

* * *

_"Now we've gone and done it,"_ Ash Ketchum thought bitterly as he tried to compose himself. _"Why is it that when things are finally going right, everything collapses around us?"_

Just a few weeks before, life had been almost perfect. The Vertress Conference hadn't ended the way he'd wanted it to, but he knew he could count on his friends to help him celebrate another respectable finish. As she had in the past, his mother had thrown a party at their home in Pallet Town, and all his old pals and traveling companions had come to offer their congratulations.

The usual suspects had been there, of course. Brock, Misty, Dawn, and Ritchie had all made their way to Pallet Town to celebrate. Even Iris and Cilan had followed him home from Unova to join in the fun. Professor Oak, as always, was on hand to congratulate Ash on his achievements, as were Tracey and Gary. Not to be outdone, all his Pokémon had given him a rousing welcome, and spent quite a bit of time getting to know Ash's new acquisitions from Unova.

But prominent among the guests had been a girl he'd been hoping to reunite with ever since their brief meeting in Sinnoh during the Wallace Cup. This girl had arguably been the best companion he'd ever traveled with; she'd started out an inexperienced young trainer who didn't even like Pokémon, but had eventually found her niche as a Pokémon Coordinator and gone on to place high in the Hoenn Grand Festival. She'd stuck with him even through the Battle Frontier challenge in his native Kanto, and entered the Grand Festival there as well, going all the way to the semifinals before a crushing defeat to one of her rivals. Only the prospect of challenging for a third Festival in Johto had separated the two, if only for a while. Now at the age of seventeen, she had finished yet another regional challenge and finished high in another Festival. Her name was May.

* * *

Ash hadn't been able to understand why he'd been so much more eager to see her than any of his other companions, at least at first. Brock and Misty were his oldest friends, and Dawn had been like a sister to him through their Sinnoh journey. But with May, things were different. Sure, they'd been together for nearly three years, with Ash taking it upon himself to be her mentor through her formative months as a trainer. The mentorship had been less prominent after the Hoenn Grand Festival, with May having much higher self-confidence and feeling more able to fend for herself, although she often came to him for advice. But his feelings somehow went beyond that of simple friendship, or even those between a mentor and student. Through it all, Ash had always been unsure of why he felt this way, but after a heartfelt discussion with his mother, Delia, he'd realized it: he was in love with this girl. The feeling came as a surprise, but his mother reassured him that the feeling was natural, and more importantly genuine. Ash had never really shown an interest in girls before, but May was something else. She'd stirred feelings he never knew were possible, and he knew he ought to act on them.

Unfortunately, by the time he'd figured everything out she was already gone, off to Johto to compete with her Contest rivals. Among them had been a green-haired Coordinator named Drew, who had apparently been much more forward about his feelings for her (as May had told him later). Ash had been understandably depressed by the proceedings, and these feelings carried over to his first forays into Sinnoh, where he'd had to rescue his Pikachu from Team Rocket for the umpteenth time. Even reuniting with Brock hadn't helped him enough to break him out of his depression, and the presence of Dawn, despite the nature of their brother/sister-esque relationship, served only to remind him of what he had narrowly missed out on. Defeats to his own new rival, Paul, had also dropped his mood, but eventually he got going again and blazed a trail all the way towards Veilstone City.

It was just outside Veilstone, at the Valour Lakefront, that May had reappeared, coming to compete in the Wallace Cup. Ash had been thrilled when he got the call: he could finally reunite with her, even if only temporarily, and he could possibly admit how he felt about her. She'd been excited to see him, too, and their lasting friendship had confirmed by the split Terracotta Medal they had both retained. The sight of the other half of the medal brought the old feelings back, and though May didn't say anything else about it, Ash could tell his feelings for her would soon come rushing back to the surface. They both competed well in the Wallace Cup, with May reaching the semifinals while Ash fell in the quarterfinal round. It was after that quarterfinal that Ash decided that he would finally confess to her, and see how she reacted.

On the night before the final two rounds, he'd met with her in the shadow of the Hotel Grand Lake and spilled his secret. He was irrevocably in love with her, he'd said, and that he wanted to get it off his chest before she left, since he knew he may not see her again for a long time. To his pleasant surprise, May reciprocated, admitting that some of her struggles in Johto had been partly due to his absence, and that she'd grown to miss his encouragement and mentorship. She also pointed out that Drew, while he had at one point increased the aggressiveness of his advances on her, had fallen in love with another girl in Johto, leaving Ash with no real competition from her rival. The pair had shared their first kiss that night, unseen and unknown by any of their friends. No-one, human or Pokémon, bore witness, and they promised never to tell anyone what had transpired that night.

* * *

Of course, all good things must come to an end, and after May's defeat to Dawn in the final she returned to Johto, not before promising Ash that they'd meet again someday. Buoyed by this promise, Ash had rolled through the rest of Sinnoh and kept up the momentum through Unova, culminating in his quarterfinal appearance at the Vertress Conference. Now back in Pallet Town, Ash and May were back together, and the ensuing events were what had thrown everything to hell.

It had been a raucous affair as usual, with everyone enjoying the vast spread that Delia had provided, and Ash was happy to see all his friends together in one place. The party raged well into the evening, and once all was said and done Ash and May were the only ones left. Her brother Max had gone off with his parents to the hotel they were staying at, but Norman and Caroline gave their permission for May to remain behind, vaguely aware of their young relationship. May had been just as pleased as Ash: she knew Delia wasn't likely to be too nosy, and with no Max to make fun of them they could enjoy each other's company without too much concern.

They say absence only makes the heart grow fonder, and in hindsight the intense feelings the two teenagers had for one another had taken them too far over the edge. It started innocently enough, with the couple sharing a typical romantic night in, watching a movie and sharing the odd kiss. But an even stronger feeling came over the pair of them, and everything from there seemed to happen in fast-forward.

He gave himself to her that night. Despite years of separation and uncertainty, they had spent the night in the most personal and intimate way possible, with little thought to what could possibly happen. At that point they didn't really care, either. They had let their feelings out, and pledged their love to one another, each promising the other that they would keep this up as long as they could. May had left with her family the next morning, and the couple planned to stay in regular contact. It was one of these conversations that flipped their whole lives upside-down.

* * *

Ash had gotten a call from the Petalburg City Pokémon Centre, and was happy to see May on the other end. Despite the distance between them, they still managed to express their love for one another, and had been making plans to see each other in person sometime soon. He couldn't help but wonder, though, what she was doing calling from the Centre instead of her home phone, where she usually rang him from. May, for her part, looked less than thrilled, and Ash immediately felt a red flag shoot up in his mind.

"Hey, May, how've you been?"

"I'm fine, Ash. You?"

"Good." He swallowed hard and continued. "Uh, May, if you don't mind my asking, why are you calling from the Pokémon Centre? All your other calls have been from your house phone."

"Oh, I'm calling from the Centre because I don't want to be overheard, not by Max or my mom, and especially not my dad."

"Why not? He already told us he was okay with our relationship, so we've got nothing to hide."

"Yeah, but this isn't something I want him hearing." Ash felt his nervousness increase, and decided to drive straight to the point instead of dancing around it.

"What do you mean, you don't want him hearing? It's about that night we spent together, isn't it?" May nodded, and Ash's eyes widened. "Oh, no, he didn't find out did he? That's all we need, your dad going nuclear on us." May smiled weakly as she shook her head.

"No, he didn't, but this is a lot worse than him just finding out about what we did."

"Worse?" May gulped, and then spoke three words that threw Ash into a panic.

"Ash," she said quietly, "I'm pregnant."

* * *

**Okay, a nice little cliffhanger to end on there. This chapter is just barely over my usual 2,000-word minimum target range, but I think I set the story in motion okay. I'm sure by reading the summary the whole phone-call scenario should've been obvious, but then again summaries don't tell the whole story. So next time we'll see what they plan to do now that they've got a little secret to hide, and how they're going to cope with the adversity. Depending on reaction, the story's rating may change, so be prepared in case it does.**

** Alright, I'm going to assume standard operating procedure is still in effect, so please read, REVIEW and tell me how it went. And of course, no post-chapter wrap-up in a new story is complete without a shameless plug, so please feel free to check out my other main projects, **_**Figure It Out**_** (completed), and **_**Double-J Adventures**_** (in-progress). Until next time, readers, **_**nam**__**á**__**ri**__**ë**_**!**


	2. Fear and Doubt

** Hi and hello, everyone! Chapter 2 of _Inconceivable_ is here, where we'll find out more about Ash and May's...er-hem..._predicament_. What's going to happen? Keep reading and find out!**

** A/N: I'm aware that there are no Pokémon Contests in Unova; it's simply to advance the story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon; Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.**

* * *

**INCONCEIVABLE**

**CHAPTER 2-FEAR AND DOUBT**

* * *

_"Ash, I'm pregnant."_

May knew that they had taken a big risk that night, but somehow hormones and emotion had run caution and logic out of town, if only for a few hours. Check that, it wasn't just a big risk, it was reckless, irresponsible even. But she had been so overjoyed to see him again, they didn't resist one another, and they were paying the price for that now.

Ash had been the only person she could think about during her contests in Johto. Before then, he had always been there for her, teaching her and helping her overcome her dislike of Pokémon, as well as indirectly influencing her Contest style. Without him, she'd felt something of a void in her head and in her heart, nagging at her and ultimately carrying over into her Contest performances. Despite winning three ribbons before her detour into Sinnoh, the performances felt flat somehow, lacking their usual flair. The Wallace Cup had been a welcome change, and through it all she felt the old spark return. She credited Ash with that spark.

She'd been overjoyed when Ash confessed to her outside the hotel. Despite Drew's advances, she had resisted them and eventually he'd given up, finding a girl midway through Johto. She knew that Ash was the only one for her, and even though she found Dawn's presence slightly threatening, he had assured her that the pair's relationship was like a brother and sister, rather than romantic. This turned the previous spark into a roaring flame, which burned brightly all the way to the final seconds of her battle with Dawn. Despite her loss, she knew she'd be able to maintain her strong performances and finish strongly in her current challenge.

After the Wallace Cup, she'd returned to Johto, and placed high in yet another Grand Festival, before moving on to properly challenge for the Sinnoh title. It seemed that she and Ash would almost always be in separate regions, but after pledging their love to one another she had taken the uplifting feeling and channeled it into her performances in the north, running all the way to the Grand Festival at Valour Lakefront. She took her highest finish yet, losing the final battle by what looked like a single point, evoking memories of her draw in Terracotta Town, where one point on either side would have swung the battle. Unsure of where to go next, she was happy to receive a call from Delia Ketchum about a celebration of Ash's return to Pallet Town. That night had been the most intense she'd ever spent with anyone, and as she looked back, she knew the intensity had been too high.

She was terrified of her family's reaction. Her mother would likely be supportive despite the shock, and Max, being a typical younger brother, would make fun of her in some capacity. Her father...she didn't even want to consider it, the possibilities were too awful to consider. That was why she was at the Pokémon Centre, away from her family's ears, hoping against hope that no-one would overhear her. She had asked Nurse Joy to ensure her privacy, but there was always the chance that an unaware passer-by or some undercover members of the press would hear one word or more, then look at who she was talking to. They would then put two and two together, get sixteen, and either spread the story verbally or print it in one of the Hoenn tabloids. Since her mother regularly read these, it would be no time before they were found out.

_"Things like these only happen on TV, not to us,"_ she thought to herself. _"This can't be real, yet I know it is. What are we going to do? How are we going to get through this?"_

* * *

"Ash?" she said tentatively, seeing him bury his face in his hands. She felt tears come to her eyes as she saw him shake his head, then look at her with wide, panicked eyes.

"Are you sure?" she heard him ask, his voice quiet. She knew why: even though Delia might be supportive as well, Ash wouldn't want his mother finding out just yet.

"Yes," she answered, choking slightly on the word. "I must've gone through a dozen tests to make absolutely sure, but everything came back positive." It was true; she'd put in a herculean effort to make sure she didn't arouse her family's suspicions, and had somehow managed to keep the tests away from her parents. "Ash?"

"Hm?" Ash's face had paled beyond recognition, contrasting starkly with his black hair.

"I'm scared." May knew she wasn't really ready to be a mother, and to be honest her feelings left _scared_ a ways behind, and even _terrified_ wasn't sufficient either. "I'm _really_ scared. This is such a violent change in our lives, and I don't know what to do."

"I know." Ash did his best to console her, knowing that if he stayed calm, she might calm down too. "It's a big change, and we need to keep it to ourselves right now. How long has it been since you found out?"

"About a week and a half. The signs were there soon after I got back to Hoenn, so I did everything I could to confirm it. Once I got the latest positive test, I kept it secret from my parents, but I couldn't get away long enough to tell you. They're already asking me where I'm planning on going next; they know Drew, Harley and Solidad flew out to Unova, but I'm not sure about traveling that far from home."

"There are Contests there now?" Ash looked confused, but then realized he was deviating. "Sorry, it just never occurred to me..."

"Ash, forget the Contests. We need a plan to get through this."

"I know. So what are our options?"

"Before you go any further, Ash, know that I'm keeping the baby." She'd always been taught to take responsibility for her actions, and she didn't intend to depart from that now. "I know my parents would never forgive me if I took any other option, nor would I forgive myself."

"Okay, so that variable's confirmed. So how are we supposed to keep this to ourselves? Even if we made it the best-kept secret in the world, somebody's going to notice eventually."

"Of course." Truthfully, May hated the idea of keeping this a secret. She knew her mother was always teasing her about such things, playfully implying that her relationship with Ash would culminate in the exact situation they found themselves in. Caroline would understand, and so too would Delia. But she knew her father almost certainly wouldn't be so understanding; not only was his only daughter pregnant out of wedlock, but if a story like that got out, the Petalburg Gym's reputation could be trashed, however wrongly.

"May?"

"Yeah, Ash?"

"I know this is a shock; I'm just as surprised, although since you're the one that's pregnant, you're probably feeling worse than I do. Just know that we're going to get through this. Together. I'm just as responsible for this as you are, and I'm not going to leave you behind while you're carrying my child."

"Oh, Ash!" May let the tears flow freely now. She knew he would stick by her anyway, but hearing him say it lifted her mood instantly. The tears she cried weren't only from fear and uncertainty, but of happiness as well.

"May, I love you. I'd sooner jump in the Cinnabar Island volcano before I left you behind. We'll pull through, don't worry." Ash knew he was exaggerating, but he meant every word.

"I know, Ash." May dried her eyes, then looked at the clock. "Ash, I have to go, my family will wonder where I've gotten to."

"Go to them. I'm going to think about what we can do, and then we can compare notes when we talk again."

"I'll try to call back tomorrow. It may have to be from the Centre, but it's better than risking someone finding out at home."

"Got it, May. I love you."

"I love you too, Ash." May smiled and blew him a kiss, then killed the link as she turned to leave.

* * *

Ash tossed himself onto his bed after the exchange, his head spinning. The current turn of events was mind-numbing, beyond any other feeling he'd ever had. Devastating losses may have left him depressed, but nothing could compare to this. He had to accept the reality, though: he was the father of May's child.

He felt so inadequate, unable to find out how to get them through their situation. He could go to his mother for advice, but he knew if Delia found out, he ran the risk of her telling May's parents once she discovered the girl's involvement. Telling Professor Oak would be foolish as well; the Pokémon Professor would be the first person anyone asked if there was even a hint of suspicion. Brock or Gary would be just as unreliable as Delia, and Tracey had too many contacts, particularly at the Cerulean Gym, to be told anything. Ruling out May's contacts was obvious, too: although he had gotten over his suspicion towards Drew, Ash knew he couldn't be trusted with the information either, nor could May's other rivals. So they would tell no-one. It would truly be between them, and them alone. He felt bad about keeping his own mother out of the loop, but it had to be done.

As for options, he was bereft of ideas. They couldn't just stay where they were; May would need him, and if they stayed in Hoenn someone would notice May's changing condition eventually. If May came to Kanto, suspicion would be aroused if she stayed too long. Other possibilities smashed against one another in his head, and he fell into a fitful slumber.

The next morning, Ash had figured everything out. The idea he had in mind was even more reckless than their previous conduct, and much more dangerous. But it was the only thing he could think of that might actually work, and it would keep them away from any prying eyes while they went through the resultant process.

He waited near the phone most of the day, and eventually he got the call he was hoping for. As May's face appeared on the screen, he knew exactly what to tell her.

"Hey, May," he started, smiling as calmly as he could.

"Hi, Ash," she answered, smiling back. "Have you given any more thought to how we're going to solve our little problem?"

"I have, but you may not like it."

"What are you thinking of?" May was so tense and nervous, she was willing to go along with anything. Ash took a breath and then told her his plan.

"We run."

* * *

**And there's Chapter 2 in the books! The basic plan to run has been revealed, but the details remain a mystery. It's this point where I want you readers to help me out.**

** You see, I'm not sure where they should run away **_**to**_**. Kanto and Hoenn are their home regions, and too many contacts live there, and Unova is out since Ash just left there and May's rivals are there now. Kalos is also out since I know next to nothing about Generation VI, and the X&Y anime has barely taken off even in Japan. So like with my previous AdvanceShipping story, the poll has two choices. The question is simple: should they run away to Johto or Sinnoh? Simply put your choice in a comment, as well as on my profile (I'll put a poll up there too), and once I get a decent number of votes, I'll write the story according to the majority view.**

** Alright, that's enough to be getting on with for now, so please read, REVIEW, and tell me what you think! Until next time, **_**namárië**_**!**


	3. Flight Plans

** Hi and hello, readers! Chapter 3 of _Inconceivable_ is upon us, and the plans to run away are being finalized! What schemes are our favorite couple cooking up? Keep reading and you'll find out!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon; Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.**

* * *

**INCONCEIVABLE**

**CHAPTER 3-FLIGHT PLANS**

* * *

"R-run?"

May couldn't believe what she had just heard. Ash usually came up with decent enough plans, but this one sounded much riskier than the others he'd dreamed up. "I know we're trying to keep this secret, but why would we do that?"

"It's the only option that keeps us away from potential contacts. If anyone we know recognizes us, the game's up and we get in major trouble. Think about it. If you stay in Hoenn, I'd have to come over there for a while, which would make people suspicious, not to mention someone's bound to notice your pregnancy eventually. I mean, it's not exactly easy to hide, is it?"

"Not after a while, I guess, no. But what if I came to Kanto and stayed with you? Wouldn't your mom understand?"

"If you came here, you'd end up staying for nearly a year, and anyone would think something's up. Things were different when we were traveling, since they knew we'd be back, plus we had Max and Brock with us. And on top of that, if my mom or Professor Oak knew anything about this, your parents would probably make them their first resource when it came to finding out where you were, and I don't know if they could keep us covered for too long."

"B-but where are we supposed to run to, then?" May was now even more worried about their impending flight than her pregnancy. Their options were limited, and she wasn't sure how they would choose one over another.

"I haven't decided yet. But I think we can get going sooner than later." Ash knew that there was still the off chance that someone could overhear them, so he didn't want to spill too many details. "How long do you think it would take you to get from Hoenn to Pallet Town?"

"About five days if I take a ferry out of Littleroot, plus a day to get my stuff together and travel to the harbour. Let's make it a week, you know, just to be safe. What do I use for an alibi?"

"Tell your parents there's a one-off Pokémon Contest or something in Kanto, which is half-true; the Contest in Terracotta Town will be opening in about two weeks. Pack about as much as you would if you were traveling, since we're gonna need to move fast, and bring your Pokémon too. Once you get to Pallet Harbour, we'll go over our next moves."

"But Ash..." May didn't like the idea of not knowing where they were running to, but she knew that it wouldn't make a difference right away. This wasn't exactly the sort of thing you planned over the phone, either. She knew the Terracotta Contest was not officially part of the Kanto Grand Festival setup, which meant it wasn't likely to get much press coverage, and therefore had less chance of attracting her parents' attention when it turned out she wasn't there after all. "Okay. I'll get my stuff packed, then catch the next ferry to Pallet. I should be able to get my mom to drive me to Littleroot, so I'll get moving as soon as I can. I'll call you with the PokéNav once I'm about a day away."

"That'll give me enough time to meet you at the harbour. We'll talk again then, okay?"

"Okay, Ash." After a quick exchange of "_I love you"_'s, the couple hung up and began their preparations.

* * *

Ash went down to Professor Oak's lab soon after his conversation with May ended. If he was going to travel again, even briefly, he'd need to pick a team of Pokémon to go with him. He had to make sure the ones he chose wouldn't cause any trouble, and he also had to make sure his choices wouldn't give him or May away. He had an idea of who to pick, but he decided to have one last look before finalizing his group.

The Professor greeted him warmly as he reached the facility.

"Hello, Ash, good to see you."

"You too, Professor. How's the research coming?"

"Very well, thank you. Gary has just embarked on a research mission in Unova, while Tracey is doing fieldwork in the Sevii Islands." When Ash looked confused, the professor clarified. "The Sevii Islands are a small island chain just off the southern coast of Kanto, not dissimilar to the Orange Islands. Tracey's project involves comparing the Sevii Islands to the Orange Islands, both in terms of geography and the Pokémon that live there."

"I see." Ash knew Tracey was originally from the Orange Islands, so exploring the Sevii archipelago would be interesting for him. "Professor, I came to collect a few of my Pokémon. The Terracotta Contest is soon, and I decided to enter again alongside May."

"Ah, of course, wonderful! Go ahead out back and decide who you would like to take with you, and I'll have their Pokéballs ready to go." Ash thanked the Professor and headed into the vast paddock where most of his Pokémon stayed when not traveling alongside him.

"Okay, so who do I take with me?" Ash knew Pikachu would be coming, since he couldn't bear leaving his best pal behind at a time like this. He'd take Sceptile as well, which he knew would make May's Blaziken happy at least; the pair often spent their time sparring with one another. He considered the other possibilities, each with its own problems. Noctowl was too distinctive, and Snorlax's size meant that he had to be left behind, too. On top of that, his Tauros' rambunctious nature would draw attention in their sedentary hours, and Gible would likely eat something he wasn't supposed to and cause more harm than good. Ash considered each possibility carefully, but still struggled to come to a decision.

Eventually, he settled on five Pokémon, but was hard-pressed to think of a sixth. He sat down by a tree near the fence and thought some more. After about fifteen more minutes of thinking and pacing, it hit him. Why hadn't he thought of this one before?

* * *

He ran into the lab with Pikachu in tow and indicated which Pokémon would be coming. At the mention of his sixth choice, Professor Oak gave him a strange look.

"Really? I thought...oh, never mind. I still have the Pokéball lying around here somewhere, just let me look for it." After a few minutes, Oak emerged with the aforementioned ball. "Here you are, Ash. I'll look forward to hearing about your progress."

"Yeah," Ash said, feeling more than a bit guilty about lying to the Professor. Oak would certainly help them out if asked, but secrecy was Ash's watchword at the moment. "We'll win that medal outright this time, no problem."

"Good luck to you, young man." Professor Oak bade him farewell, and Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulder as they left the area.

"Pikachu, chu pika ka chu, pikapi?" Pikachu wasn't upset at the prospect of traveling again, but he couldn't understand why Ash was acting so strangely.

"I'll tell you later, Pikachu." Ash hadn't told his buddy about the recent turn of events, but knew the Electric-type would need to know eventually. "Right now we need to get our stuff together and be ready to go in a few days. May's coming with us, by the way, isn't that cool?" Pikachu cheered at the prospect of reuniting with the Coordinator, unaware of the more advanced goings-on between her and his trainer. Ash grinned at this, and hurried home to prepare himself for a quick departure.

* * *

May, for her part, was staying as calm as possible as she tossed the essentials into her pack. She had told her parents about the upcoming Terracotta Contest, which they both approved despite her previous participation in the event. When she was younger, she would have been relishing the chance to travel to a faraway region and see what there was to see; that _had_ been the real reason she'd started her Pokémon journey in the first place, well before she ever met Ash. Now she was getting ready to leave home again, only this time it was to escape from her family and friends, not to travel and compete.

She was apprehensive about the trip, not just because of the uncertainty of her and Ash's final destination but also because she was essentially running from her family, who loved her more than anything. Sure, Ash loved her, enough to take care of her during this crisis, but her family's love was much deeper and, quite literally, irreplaceable. But she knew that she couldn't face her family with this news, and even though it hurt to leave them, it had to be done.

Once she collected her belongings and Pokéballs, she went down to where Caroline was waiting to take her to Littleroot Harbour. She had opted to leave Skitty behind, mainly because the hyperactive Normal-type would be too much to handle; Munchlax may have been a risk because of his appetite, but she knew she could keep him under control with greater ease, since his sole motivation was food, more specifically her Pokéblock. The rest of her small stable of Pokémon would come with her as well, since she knew they would help out too once they got going.

As she headed for the car, she looked back on her home for what seemed like the last time. She battled hard to keep the tears away, struggling to force back the wave of fear and sadness that washed over her. But she knew if she started crying now, her mother would think something was wrong, and she'd risk blowing her cover. So she closed her eyes and took a breath, blinked away the few tears that had surfaced, and clambered into the passenger seat next to her mother.

* * *

Along the way, mother and daughter were fairly quiet, but as they passed through Oldale Town a few hours later, Caroline asked May something that frightened the young Coordinator.

"So May, you said you're planning to meet Ash for this Contest. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were more than just best friends and competitors, you know what I mean?" At this, May's eyes widened. Caroline was only teasing, of course, but May was so wound up that she jumped slightly at the question.

"Of course we're more than just friends, Mom! He's my boyfriend! We may be far away from one another, but we really love each other! And that's all we are! Boyfriend and girlfriend, nothing more advanced than that!" May's frantic clarification drew a raised eyebrow from Caroline, but the older woman simply laughed.

"I know, May. What you two have going on is wonderful. Of course, I had to explain the whole thing to your father, but he approves." May shrank down into her seat at the mention of her father, but said nothing further as they approached Littleroot Town.

* * *

The sun was just beginning to set over the water when May and Caroline reached Littleroot Harbour. As May stood at the dock waiting to board the ferry to Pallet Town, Caroline stood next to her, watching the ocean beyond.

"You'll have a great time, May. Just make sure you two stay safe. You won't have Brock with you this time, so you'll have to watch each other's backs."

"We will, Mom, don't worry." May_ was_ worried; as the months passed and her condition changed, they would have to find somewhere to settle semi-permanently, since her pregnancy wouldn't be conducive to moving around too much. But she trusted Ash to work everything out, and that was all that mattered.

The announcement came over the loudspeaker that May's ferry was boarding, and May hugged her mother as she turned to leave.

"Goodbye, May," Caroline told her daughter. "Have fun and be safe. Give Ash our love."

"I will, Mom. Talk to you soon." At this, Caroline released May from their embrace, and May hurried onto the ferry, ready to embark on the riskiest journey she'd ever attempted.

* * *

**And that's a wrap! May and Ash have taken their first steps on a fearsome journey, and only time will tell how it's going to work out. There's no set destination yet, but keep sending your votes in and all will be revealed in due time!**

** Standard operating procedure is, of course, in effect, so please read, REVIEW and give me some feedback! Until next time, _namárië_!**


	4. Opening Moves

** Hi and hello, and happy (late) Hallowe'en! Welcome to Chapter 4 of _Inconceivable_! This time, we'll see Ash and May reunite and continue on their journey away from home, picking up a very special team member along the way. Without further ado, let's get moving!**

** A/N: for some reason, the song _No Surprise_ by Daughtry was running through my head when I wrote the preliminary stuff for this story. I think it fits, sort of (that's Asperger's logic at it's best, folks).**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon; Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.**

* * *

**INCONCEIVABLE**

**CHAPTER 4-OPENING MOVES**

* * *

The next few days went by like lightning. Ash spent the time gathering whatever he needed for his and May's impending journey, mainly clothes along with various foodstuffs and hygiene items. He'd asked his mother to put together a larger version of his Hoenn outfit, which she had happily done for him, knowing that he'd favored the hooded sweatshirt she'd made previously. He figured no-one would recognize him once they'd reached their final destination, although he decided to leave his hat behind; the headgear had become his trademark, and even though he had several of them in the closet now, he knew any of them might give him away.

Meanwhile, Pikachu was explaining what he knew of the situation to his compatriots. Sceptile had appeared happy that Blaziken would be coming with May, while a purple blob of sludge and a powerful rhinoceros beetle indicated their eagerness to meet May's Pokémon themselves. The orange otter next to them simply crossed his arms; he'd met May briefly before, but he wouldn't mind meeting her partners either. Only Ash's sixth choice remained to be added to the group, but Ash had planned to pick it up along the way.

The morning before May was scheduled to arrive, Ash came out to the yard and looked at the team he'd selected. It was time to come clean and explain the entire situation to them, so they would know exactly what they were getting into. Fortunately, his mother was out of the house for the day, and Mimey was too busy doing his chores to be interested in what Ash was going through, so it was safe to tell them here. Ash sighed and began his story.

"Okay, guys," he began, looking at each Pokémon in turn. Pikachu was all ears, and Sceptile leaned against a tree to listen. "I think I owe you an explanation of what we're doing here. Most of you know who May is, right?" Pikachu and Sceptile nodded along with the otter, but the other two looked confused. "Alright, so three of you. Long story short, May was one of my traveling partners in Hoenn and our second run through Kanto. She also happens to be my girlfriend." He let this sink in, particularly with Sceptile, who looked dumbfounded and almost dropped the twig in his mouth out of shock. "Don't look at me like that, Sceptile. Anyway, so May's my girlfriend, and we kinda...took things too far last time she was here."

"_Pika_?" Pikachu could see where this was headed, and it didn't look good. The others simply stared, waiting for the rest of the story.

"Exactly. And now, she's kinda..." Ash cast around for an acceptable euphemism, but couldn't find one. He let out another big sigh as he spilled the secret. "She's pregnant with my child, guys. We don't want my mom or her parents to find out, so we're running away. I'm taking you five with me, and we'll be collecting the sixth member of the gang once we're under way. Until we get where we're going, we're operating under the pretense that we'll be competing in the Terracotta Contest." Sceptile barked a harsh laugh, remembering his tie with Blaziken well. "Yes, Sceptile, the same one we tied at. But we're not going to be competing there. I've an idea of where we're going, but I won't tell you just yet. Just know that I need you guys to keep a low profile out there. We can't attract too much attention, or we'll be found out." At that point, the PokéGear he'd bought to maintain contact with May went off, and he stepped away from his team to answer it.

* * *

"We'll be arriving in Pallet Harbour tomorrow afternoon," May said, knowing Ash would soon be kicking his preparations into overdrive. She'd called like she promised, happy to hear her boyfriend's voice after the four days she'd spent on the ferry. "The travel guide says we should be arriving at the south dock, so that's where you should meet me when we land."

"You got it, May. We'll be ready to go as soon as you get here. Get some rest, you'll need it." May smiled and whispered something barely audible into the PokéNav. She heard Ash chuckle on the other end, and an equally inaudible response filtered through. May giggled and turned off the PokéNav after this, and lay down on the bed in the cabin to ponder her current situation.

The past four days had been uncomfortable, mainly due to nausea and other physical symptoms. Thankfully, her cabin had an en-suite bathroom, so no-one would notice her frequent trips to deal with these problems. She made sure she kept her bandanna off and her hair down when she did venture out of the cabin; even though people would likely pay little mind to her, the fear of recognition was very much alive in her mind, and she didn't want this whole thing coming apart before it even began.

She'd debriefed each of her Pokémon in turn, starting with Blaziken, so they would be up to speed before they got to Kanto. All of them had expressed surprise at the news of her pregnancy, but all had indicated they would help out during the coming months, and May had especially emphasized the need to stay under the radar. She didn't have the reserve corps that Ash had in Pallet Town, so if too many of her Pokémon were recognized in the region they fled to, it might be game over for the lot of them.

Ash hadn't told her who he would be bringing with him, but she had some idea of who he might choose. She knew Pikachu would be there—Ash would never leave his best buddy behind—and it seemed obvious, to her at least, that Sceptile would come too, if only to reunite with Blaziken. He'd mentioned on the phone that he would be starting the trip with five Pokémon, with a sixth to be picked up later. _"Maybe Bulbasaur will come and be reunited with my Venusaur. That would be nice."_ she thought to herself. She was eager to see Ash's Pokémon again, and she knew that he would have them keep an eye on her during the journey. As she thought of this, she closed her eyes and put a hand on her stomach.

"Our Pokémon will help us through this, I know it. They won't allow anything to happen to us, especially with our little one on the way." Letting this thought soothe her anxiety, she slipped into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

Ash waited at the south dock in Pallet Town Harbour, Pikachu on his shoulder, and watched for May's ferry on the horizon. He was anxious, mainly because of the nature of their flight, but he knew he had to stay strong throughout the trip, if only to keep May's spirits up. Pikachu sensed his nerves and jumped down, looking intently at his trainer.

"Pikachu pi chu-pika ka-chu, pikapi?" Ash smiled as he guessed at Pikachu's meaning.

"Yeah, Pikachu, I am nervous. We're taking an awful risk, but it's got to be done. You just keep a low profile like I told you and we'll be okay." Pikachu left it at this; he wanted to know more about what was going on, but he decided that if Ash didn't want to tell him, he wouldn't force him to. He satisfied himself by looking at the water, then perked up as he saw a puff of smoke.

"Pikapi!" he shouted, pointing at the black cloud. Ash looked out and noticed it himself, his face breaking into a huge grin.

"She's almost here!" The ferry's approach seemed to take hours, but in no time it was moored alongside the dock. A gang-ramp was lowered from the side of the ship, and Ash watched to see where his girlfriend was. When he saw her distinctive green bandanna, his heart leapt, and he hurried over to meet her.

May looked just as she had when he'd met up with her at Valour Lakefront. Her sleeveless orange shirt matched her running shoes, and her black shorts reached to her mid-thigh. A pair of black gloves, along with the aforementioned bandanna, completed the look, causing Ash to imagine them traveling as a trainer and Coordinator again. He had to shake himself as he looked at her, though; this was no time for reminiscing, and time was running short.

"Hey, Ash," May said happily as she hugged him. She struggled to keep the tears out of her eyes as she gripped him tightly, conveying her anxiety through the gesture. "I'm so glad to see you. It's been way too long."

"I know," Ash replied as he felt her lean into his shoulder. He was more than happy to see her, his girl, the mother of his child. Just holding her again was exhilirating. The embrace lasted several more moments, then they broke apart, still staring into each other's eyes.

"Pika-chu chu pika, ka-chu!" Pikachu greeted May as well, jumping from his trainer's shoulder to hers. May smiled weakly and reached up to stroke his ears.

"Good to see you as well, Pikachu." May turned to Ash as she felt Pikachu relax beneath her touch. "So what's the plan? We've got no plans beyond Terracotta Town, so where are we going to go?"

"I'm not ready to tell you yet," Ash said, and instantly wished he hadn't said it that way. When May looked worried, he clarified. "Alright, the truth is, I know where we're going, but I don't want to tell you yet. I have one quick stop to make before we head over to Terracotta Town, then we can make our next move from there. Sound okay?"

"Fine." May trusted Ash enough to let him keep their destination a surprise for now. She knew he would never deliberately lead them astray, even if his sense of direction left something to be desired. She felt Pikachu's presence on her shoulder and instantly felt much more at ease; Pikachu had always been there for her during their travels, and she figured he wouldn't stop that tendency now. "But we'd better get moving, the quicker we go the less chance we'll be found out."

"Right," Ash said, and the couple hurried from the port towards the city limits and the start of their flight.

* * *

They opted to take an express bus to Viridian City, since the walk from Pallet would be long and Ash didn't want to tire May out. May protested that she was fine with walking, but Ash insisted that she not overexert herself.

"I don't want any trouble with _you-know-what_ because you're running yourself ragged." he had said, his voice tense. May decided it wasn't worth arguing with him and allowed him to lead her onto the bus, where they sat near the back. Ash put his arm around her, while Pikachu jumped into May's arms and closed his eyes, preferring to remain with her now that he was aware of her condition. May smiled at this; her holding Pikachu made them look like a family already, and she could picture their own child sleeping where the Mouse Pokémon was at the moment. Some passengers complimented the "adorable young couple" as they went by, which made both teenagers blush, and Pikachu simply yawned in amusement. The goings-on between May and his trainer would take some getting used to, but he knew it was for the best.

* * *

Once they reached Viridian City, they got off the bus and Ash made a beeline for the northern city limits. May looked at him in surprise, and hurried to catch up with him.

"Ash, where are you going?" she called, letting Pikachu jump off her shoulder so she could move more easily. Ash stopped to let her catch up, and she stopped a few feet in front of him, bending over as she caught her breath. "What's the rush? I thought you didn't want me to overdo it!"

"Sorry, May," Ash apologized, realizing his folly. "I'm just so excited to get where we're headed right now, I forgot about our little passenger. I really am sorry."

"It's fine, Ash. Just warn me when you're going to take off like that." Ash nodded and headed up the short route northward towards a large forest, which May regarded with apprehension. "Wait, what're we heading into that forest for? We never went through there during your Battle Frontier challenge."

"This is where we're going to find my sixth team member." Ash explained as they entered the thick woods. "Just give me a few minutes to find the area..." They walked on, Ash searching for something, while Pikachu kept a lookout too. Eventually, they reached a small clearing and Ash snapped his fingers. "Right, here it is!"

"What's here? Who's coming?" May didn't like the uncertainty surrounding this detour. She'd hoped to be farther along by now, but this delay seemed necessary to Ash.

"You'll see. Although, now that I think about it, you might want to take a couple of steps back. Pikachu, stay with May." Pikachu nodded and jumped back onto May's shoulder, while Ash checked to make sure the coast was clear. He breathed deeply and let loose a high-pitched cry that made the hairs on the back of May's neck stand up. Pikachu covered his more sensitive ears, even though he knew what was coming. A few seconds later, Ash relaxed and moved over to where May was standing.

"What in the world was that?" May asked, her eyebrow raised. "Some kind of bird Pokémon call...?" At that moment, she heard the sound of wings approaching, growing louder as whatever owned them came closer. Ash simply smiled and watched his sixth Pokémon arrive on the scene.

The approaching bird had a handsome yellow crest trimmed with red, and his brown tail feathers were about as long as May's forearm. His razor-sharp talons looked dangerous, but he would only ever use them on an opponent, not his trainer or his friends. He had small, sharp eyes that could see just about anything, and his giant wings flapped majestically in the spring air. Upon seeing Ash, he flew over to where the trainer was standing with May and Pikachu.

"Hey, Pidgeot," Ash said as he looked his loyal former companion in the eye. Pidgeot trilled happily, overjoyed to see his master again. Pikachu called out a greeting as well, and the Bird Pokémon nodded his head in acknowledgement. May, for her part, took a tentative step back, a little frightened by the bird's appearance.

"So this is your Pidgeot, huh?" She didn't have a very good history with the species, having been badly beaten by Solidad's Pidgeot once before. Pidgeot eyed her with interest, and Ash spoke again.

"Yes. I left him here to look after the Pidgey flock in the forest. Pidgeot, this is May, my girlfriend. She and I are traveling together again, and we came to see if you'd like to join us." Without hesitation, Pidgeot trilled again, and Ash nodded and hugged his friend. "Great, I knew you'd want to." He released Pidgeot and maintained his smile. "I promised I'd come back for you someday, right? Now we're together again, just like May and I." Pidgeot turned to look at the girl as Ash released him from his grip, and the young man chuckled a bit. "It's fine, pal. May's just a bit scared of you, that's all." He turned to her and his gaze seemed to calm her down a little. "May, you want to come over and say hello?"

"Alright," May said quietly, walking over to the bird. She timidly reached out to stroke Pidgeot's feathers, and her fear dissipated as Pidgeot responded happily, closing his eyes as her hand ran through his plumage. "I guess we've got our final teams set, huh? Now what?"

"We get going again. Pidgeot," Ash addressed the bird, who turned to face him. "You know where Terracotta Town is, right?" Pidgeot nodded, knowing his innate sense of direction would get his master and new friend there safely. "Okay, we need you to fly us there. You up for it?" Pidgeot nodded again, and stretched out to allow Ash to climb onto his back. "May, come on up. This way, we can get to Terracotta Town even faster, then we can head for our final destination."

"Okay." May's fear was back now; she'd never ridden a Flying-type like Pidgeot before, and the thought terrified her. "Are you sure this is safe?" she asked as she wrapped her arms around Ash's waist.

"Of course, Pidgeot would never let anything happen to us." He watched Pikachu jump back onto May's shoulder, and he turned to face forward. "Okay, Pidgeot, let's move." Pidgeot flapped his great wings and took off into the sky, and May squeaked in terror as she buried her head in Ash's shoulder. Pidgeot turned in the air towards the northwest, and flew swiftly through the midafternoon sky towards their waypoint in Terracotta Town.

* * *

**Alright, chapter 4 is done! Ash's sixth team member has been added, and they can now focus on their next moves towards their final destination. The project's coming along nicely too, which is good news (for me at least), and I should have the final scenarios ready for next weekend, with a possible update on Monday (which happens to be my 23rd birthday, incidentally).**

** A quick note on Pidgeot joining Ash's squad. I'm aware that the possibility of Pidgeot's return is sometimes speculated about, especially since in the anime proper Ash _still_ hasn't made good on his promise to come back for it (or him, in this case; I prefer to establish a Pokémon's gender right off if it hasn't already been revealed, since I think it makes them easier to personify. It's also more natural for my writing style.). I figured it should be either Pidgeot or Butterfree that came back, and in the end I decided Pidgeot would advance the story better, plus he's more easily accessible than Butterfree. Hey, as long as it makes for a better story, right?**

** Okay, once again, standard operating procedure is in effect, so please read, REVIEW and tell me what you thought! (Keep the votes coming as well, any of you first-time reviewers!) Until next time, _namárië_!**


	5. First Checkpoint

** Hi and hello! Welcome to Chapter 5 of _Inconceivable_, where Ash and May arrive in Terracotta Town and perform some last manoeuvres before settling on a destination. Without further ado, here we go!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon; Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.**

* * *

**INCONCEIVABLE**

**CHAPTER 5-FIRST CHECKPOINT**

* * *

Pidgeot's speed meant that Ash and May reached Terracotta Town in less than two hours, and their landing prompted a flood of memories from the fateful contest all those years ago. May simply climbed off of Pidgeot and stared at the vast harbour, while Ash closed his eyes and pictured everything that had transpired here.

There was the Contest Hall, where they'd battled to a tie and split the medal that symbolized their friendship. May's then-Combusken had evolved into Blaziken here, setting the stage for the matchup with Sceptile. He remembered the smoke cloud that masked their points totals before the verdict was established. They then separated that evening, with May and Max returning home to Petalburg City. The memories were bittersweet, but Ash knew everything had seemingly come full circle, and a site of such significance was the perfect waypoint on their journey.

May kept Pikachu in her arms, her nerves on edge despite the tranquility of the ocean beyond. The scene was very similar to the Valour Lakefront, and this similarity brought back its own wave of memories, which May tried to keep back, knowing that she needed to concentrate on the present. Pikachu sensed her discomfort and looked up into her eyes.

"Ka-chu, pikachu pikapika chu pi pika?"

"No, Pikachu, everything's fine." May answered, guessing at the mouse's meaning. "I remember everything that happened here, but I don't want to dwell on the old memories. We're doing something really scary and dangerous, and all our focus has to be on that." Pikachu didn't look convinced, but he decided to leave May alone for now. If she or Ash had anything to tell him, they would.

* * *

As they reached the Pokémon Centre, Ash headed to the counter to book them a room for the evening. Nurse Joy took their info and checked them in, and the couple moved to the trainers' lounge, where they each dropped into an armchair next to one another. Ash closed his eyes and breathed deeply, while May gently extricated Pikachu from her arms. The Electric-type satisfied himself with lying next to May's left shoe, where he dropped off for a quick nap. May looked at Ash and smiled.

"Hey, at least Pikachu's behaving himself." Ash nodded, and May became serious. "Alright, so we're in Terracotta Town. What're we going to do now?"

"Well, we've got to keep our little ruse going, right? I'm going to call Professor Oak and tell him we're here, and you could call your parents if you want. The more evidence that we're here, the less chance they'll get suspicious."

"But what happens if they call the Centre and we're not here? They'll know for sure."

"We'll be well out of here by the time anyone calls up. The ruse only has to work this far, once we're away there's not much they can do to track us." Ash knew that once they were gone long enough, the search would inevitably start, but he knew they could be well hidden by the time anyone even considered looking for them. He trusted his and his Pokémon's ability to stay under the radar—well, except for Muk, but he could work with the Sludge Pokémon on that.

"I guess so. Alright, you call the Professor first, then I'll call my parents. Then we should walk around town a bit, since we didn't see much the first time we were here."

"Are you sure about that?" Ash didn't want to risk being noticed; even though few people were likely to recognize them, paranoia dictated that they should keep to their plan to lay low. "What if someone sees us?"

"Don't worry about that, Ash. No-one here has seen me dressed like this, and you're not wearing your hat, so nobody will recognize you either. We're going to need to pick up supplies anyway, and if we're going to be leaving soon it's got to be today."

"Fine. I'd lose the bandanna, though, at least while we're out there. It's almost as recognizable as my hat, so any sharp-eyed people will pick up on it in a flash."

"Okay," May said, and Ash headed over to the bank of videophones to call Professor Oak.

* * *

"Ah, so you've reached Terracotta Town, excellent! Did you manage to collect Pidgeot on your way?"

"Yes," Ash replied. "He was in the Viridian Forest just like I left him, and he flew Pikachu and I over here, which explains how we got here so fast."

"A wise choice. The earlier you arrive for a contest or other competition, the more time you have to familiarize yourself with the area. I assume May is with you now?"

"Yeah, she is." This was where the deception lay. "She took the ferry from Littleroot Town and met me at Terracotta Harbour. We timed it so we'd arrive at the same time, and we just checked into the Pokémon Centre." Behind him and out of sight, May looked confused—she hadn't gone directly to Terracotta Town from Littleroot. In order to keep the ruse going, though, she let it slide.

"I see. There's still a few days until the Contest, so you two will have time to catch up and train together. Good luck to you, my boy."

"Thanks, Professor. See you later." Professor Oak nodded and closed the link, and Ash made way for May to take her turn. May indicated where Pikachu was still lying on the floor, and she opened the link to her home phone as Ash returned to the lounge.

After a few moments, the screen showed Caroline's face, and she smiled as she saw her daughter's face on her end.

"Oh, hi, May! I wasn't expecting you to call so soon. Was your ferry trip okay?"

"Yeah, it was. Those ferries are quicker than you think, it seemed like no time before I got to Pallet Town. Ash flew us over on his Pidgeot, so we're here in plenty of time for the Contest."

"I see. How is Ash doing?"

"He's alright, he's training right now. I'm going to join him once we're done."

"You two make a terrific pair, May. From all you told us, Ash is the reason you're such a strong Coordinator now. Just don't let the fact that you two are dating get in the way, especially if you run into each other in the Contest."

"Don't worry about that, Mom. Ash won't let a little thing like love stop him from giving his all. I've seen his skill firsthand, after all."

"Well, I won't keep you away from him any longer." May blushed and narrowed her eyes, but Caroline just winked at her. "Oh, don't look at me like that, May, I'm just teasing. Just remember to have fun, and you'll be fine when the Contest starts."

"I know, Mom. I'll talk to you soon." May cut the transmission, and felt awful already. She'd just lied to her mother, straight to her face. She didn't have time to feel worse, though. A wave of nausea come over her, and she raced for the bathroom, hoping no-one would see her.

* * *

Ash waited anxiously for May to return to the lounge, watching the adjacent foyer for any sign of her. May appeared a few minutes later, and she tucked her bandanna into her waist-pack as she sat back down next to him.

"Did you talk to your mom?" he asked, his voice full of concern.

"Yes, I did. I told her we got here safely, and that we're prepping for the Contest. I do have to ask you, though, why did you tell the Professor I came here direct from Littleroot? If my parents talk to him, they'll notice that there's two different stories."

"He didn't know you were coming to Pallet first. The less he knows about us being together from the start, the better. I'm trying to cover our tracks as much as possible."

"I don't know if you did it right that time, though." May decided to end it here, since they needed to get moving. "Alright, forget the dissonant alibis. We've got to go pick up some supplies before we leave."

"Okay," Ash and May got up and walked towards the exit doors, while Pikachu hurried after them. As they exited the Centre, they saw people putting up posters advertising the Terracotta Contest, and they did their best not to gravitate towards them. Other people did, though, and expressed their interest in competing, even though the Contest wasn't in the official Grand Festival lineup.

"Sounds like us, huh? Or at least you," May joked as they moved towards the first in a row of shops. "The only reason you entered was because you didn't need a Pass."

"Hey, I entered so we would get a chance to compete together," Ash said in response. "I've only ever entered three Contests in total, and an unofficial Contest meant I could compete without risking damage to my reputation."

"Oh, so you're worried about your reputation now?" May asked playfully, giggling as Ash flushed. Even though she was worried sick about their flight, she felt she needed this interlude of friendly banter, if only to lighten her own mood, to say nothing of his.

"No...well, sort of. I may not have a Championship title, but I did win the Battle Frontier..."

"Ash," May interrupted, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'm kidding. You don't have to prove anything to me, nor to anyone else. And besides, your win at the Battle Frontier is something our little one is going to be able to boast about, so that's a plus."

"Yeah," Ash said, chuckling to himself. "I guess I was just going off on a tangent, huh?"

"Don't worry about it. I love you despite even that." May gave Ash a swift kiss on the cheek, and rushed into the first shop to see what they had on offer. Ash touched his cheek and looked at Pikachu, who was doubled over in silent laughter.

"What're you laughing at?" he asked the mouse, who didn't answer. Ash shook his head and followed May into the shop.

* * *

A few hours and one subdued dinner later, they returned to the Pokémon Centre, weighed down with fresh supplies for their journey. Not wanting to attract attention, they hurried to the room Nurse Joy had checked them into, and tosssed their multiple bags on the room's single bed. Ash groaned when he saw this.

"Aw, no, really?" Memories of their night together raced back faster than a Charmander confronted with ice water. "Is the universe _trying_ to remind us of why we're running?"

"Ash, don't let it bug you. I don't mind sleeping in the same bed." May, too, was remembering back to that night, but she knew it was in the past, nothing they could do about it. "Although we can have Pikachu sleep between us if it bothers you that much."

"That'd be fine." Ash dumped the contents of the first bag onto the bed, and Pikachu helped him sort out the items inside. Instant ramen, water, and even a few bottles of ketchup, which Ash had to physically restrain Pikachu from jumping on. May did the same with another bag, and in less than half an hour everything was packed and ready.

"Okay, that's it, then." May zipped her waist-pack shut again, having added a few items to its load. "It's nearly nine o'clock, you want to turn in? We've got a big day tomorrow."

"Sure, May. I just want to tell you a couple of things first."

"I'm all ears." May sat down on the bed, and Ash ran a hand through his hair before starting again.

"Okay, first off, we're going to hang around the Centre until tomorrow night. I've read that if you're planning to move in secret, you move at night, so that's what we're going to do."

"I think you've been watching too many spy movies," May said doubtfully, but knew Ash was probably right. Leaving at night would attract less attention, they'd just need to make sure Nurse Joy didn't see them. "Okay, what else?"

"I've decided where we're going."

"You have?" May felt her heart begin to race again. "Where?" Ash moved over to her and whispered something in her ear. When he stepped away, she looked at him in surprise. "Really?"

* * *

** Aha, you thought I was going to tell you where they're going, didn't you? Sorry to string you guys along like that, but I _will_ reveal their final destination next chapter. It should be up close to this weekend, so watch this space!**

** Standard operating procedure applies, so please read, REVIEW and tell me how it went. Tomorrow's my 23rd birthday, but it's going to be almost entirely spent at school (life as a college senior, folks), so any and all reviews will be a happy bonus. Until next time, _namárië_!**


	6. Destination Confirmed

** Hi and hello! Chapter 6 of _Inconceivable_ is here, and we are literally six words of the story away from learning which region Ash and May will be going to. Will it be the friendly confines of Johto or the northern frontiers of Sinnoh? Read on to find out!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon; Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.**

* * *

**INCONCEIVABLE**

**CHAPTER 6-DESTINATION CONFIRMED**

* * *

"Yeah, really. We're going to Johto." Ash had thought hard about where they should flee to, and he had settled on the adjacent region. "Why, is that a problem?"

"No, no, it's just...well, we've both been there, and someone there is bound to notice us."

"They won't. Believe me, it wasn't easy to decide on a destination, and I managed to narrow our options down to Johto and Sinnoh. Since we had to rule Kanto, Hoenn and Unova out, they were the only two regions left to consider."

"And why aren't we going to Sinnoh? Isn't it a lot further away from here than Johto?"

"I did take that into consideration. The further away we get, the harder it'll be for anyone to track us. There was, however, one big factor that swung me towards Johto."

"Which is?"

"Dawn." Ash knew the blue-haired Coordinator would instantly notice them in her home region. "May, if we ran into her or Zoey or even Paul, the news would spread like wildfire. You aren't exactly a low-profile Coordinator, after all."

"But wouldn't she, you know, keep our secret?" Ash shook his head.

"I'd like to think so, but you know how she loves to gossip, and we can't risk anyone else knowing about us. The idea is to get _away_ from our contacts; the only person I can think of in Johto that would definitely recognize me is Casey, but she doesn't know who you are, plus she's too busy supporting the Electabuzz to even acknowledge us being there."

"But what about the Gym Leaders? Or those two kids you ran into in Sinnoh, Lyra and Khoury?"

"Those two? They'll be traveling on their own, and they probably don't know who you are anyway, so the risk isn't so high if we do run into them." Ash knew that the two trainers he'd met late in his Sinnoh travels were set on completing the Johto League, and he hadn't known them long enough to worry about interference from them. He sighed and continued. "We'll leave tomorrow night, then we'll cut through the old Pokémon League gate near Viridian. If we move quickly—relatively speaking—we should be over the border in a few days. When we get to Johto, we're going to have to do what we did when we were traveling, which means a lot of camping and moving through the woods. Well, at least until we need to find a place to settle."

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing." May knew that once her pregnancy advanced, it would be impractical, and possibly dangerous for her and the baby, to be camping out all the time. She was aware that Ash and his Pokémon would do whatever it took to protect them, but at some point nature would seize control of the situation. Just then, she had a sudden thought. "But why don't we just fly there? It would be quicker, and we could be there faster than if we went on foot."

"Ah," Ash said, realizing he'd forgotten how they'd originally made it to Terracotta Town in the first place. His elaborate plan had fallen flat already. "Actually, that's not a bad idea, at least to get there. Once we do get there, though, we'll have to forgo flying; Pidgeot may not be as distinctive as Noctowl is, but he's noticeable enough to cause us trouble."

"I know that. I'll never get used to flying anyway. So we know we're going to Johto, but my question is _where_? Do you have any ideas?"

"I was thinking a smaller town, somewhere like Ecruteak or Mahogany. Ecruteak, or somewhere close by, seems more plausible, since it's a real hike to get to Mahogany."

"And Ecruteak isn't too heavily populated anyway. Okay, we can discuss specifics tomorrow, it's getting late."

"Alright." Ash turned away, but was shocked to find May grabbing him and pressing her lips to his. He stiffened slightly, surprised by the suddenness of the gesture, but gradually relaxed and held her close. Ash could feel her trembling, but he didn't pull away, he just kissed her, as if through the gesture he could reassure her she was safe, she wasn't alone—she was with him. They broke apart a few moments later, and May flushed hard as she gave Ash an apologetic look.

"Sorry, Ash, I just...emotions running high, you know."

"Yeah." Ash coughed, then turned again. "We should turn in, we've got a big day tomorrow."

"Okay." May grabbed her sleepwear from her pack, and hurried into the small adjacent bathroom to change.

* * *

May slept soundly that whole night, and Pikachu lay between her and his trainer, keeping them separate per Ash's request; May _had_ indicated her indifference towards further proximity, but Ash insisted they stay separate, since proximity was what had landed them in this mess. Ash couldn't fall asleep, haunted by the weight he felt on his shoulders.

They had settled on a destination, but he had no idea what they would do once they got there. He knew they would make for a smaller town, but he was stumped beyond then. Staying out of sight was one thing, maintaining their cover for an indefinite amount of time was another.

A torrent of questions raged through his mind. Would they be able to make a life in Johto if they had to? Beyond his tournament winnings, how would he support her and their child? Could they keep their advanced relationship a secret once their child was born? Would they abandon their families forever, or would they be able to return one day and explain the entire situation? If they did, what would his mother say, or Norman and Caroline? He knew Max would be thrilled at being sort of related to him, but years ago he would have considered it a strange idea. Ash had a thousand more questions, but no answers, and it was frustrating.

_"It's barely been two days since we ran, but it feels like two years. We've taken a big risk—the heck with that, we took the risk _before_ May became pregnant. I know we've traveled together before, but this is different. When we started, May only came with me because Pikachu fried her bike. This time, she's the mother of my child, and I've taken it upon myself to protect her, just like I took it upon myself to become her mentor. But I can't risk losing faith now, not while our journey's barely started. We have to see this through."_ He looked at the clock on the dresser, which read a quarter to one in the morning. _"And if I don't get some sleep, we won't get going at all."_ With these thoughts plaguing him, he dropped off to sleep, tortured by the unanswered questions in his head.

* * *

When Ash woke the next morning, May was already up, dressed and out of the room. Pikachu was still asleep next to where she had been the night before, curled up in a ball of yellow fur, and her pack was missing from the chair by the far wall. He wondered where she could have gone, but then he saw the locked bathroom door and realized what was going on.

_"Morning sickness, of course."_ He knew, of course, that she'd be dealing with these symptoms for several more weeks, so he couldn't get worked up about her frequent disappearances. How they were going to cope out on the road, he had no clue. Pikachu stirred from his sleep and looked groggily around the room, settling on Ash as his eyes refocused. The Mouse Pokémon sat up and chirped something Ash couldn't discern, but he smiled nonetheless.

"No, Pikachu, May's fine. Don't worry about her." At that moment, May emerged from the bathroom, looking pale. Pikachu, as if able to sense how she felt, jumped off the bed and scampered into her arms, affectionately nuzzling her cheek.

"Are you that worried about me, Pikachu?" May asked, giggling slightly.

"Chaa..." he cooed in response as May stroked his fur. May looked at Ash as she held the Electric-type, the image of her own child in Pikachu's place still running through her mind.

"So, what're we going to do until we leave? We have everything ready to go at a moment's notice, but I don't want to be cooped up in this room all day."

"We could _pretend_ we were practicing for the Contest," Ash suggested. "We should use somebody besides Sceptile and Blaziken, though. I wouldn't put it past anyone here to recognize them, and by extension us."

"Okay, I guess that means I'll use Glaceon then." May knew the Fresh Snow Pokémon would keep herself under control and not draw unnecessary attention. She might not have been native to Kanto, and anyone who had even caught a fleeting glimpse of the Wallace Cup might know who she was, but with the popularity of Eevee's evolutionary line it was unlikely that anyone would find her unusual. "What about you? Is Pikachu going to participate in our little façade?"

"No. Pikachu's my signature Pokémon, and he wouldn't want to battle Glaceon anyway. He still has something of a soft spot for her." From May's arms, Pikachu shouted in protest, and Ash laughed. "I'm kidding, buddy. I'm going to put Muk out there, he and I need to have a serious discussion anyway."

"Alright, let's get going then, we're burning daylight." May started to run from the room, but then stopped as she realized what she still had to do. She carefully untied the bandanna from her head and tucked it into her pack, remembering what Ash had told her about its significance. "I'm going to have to find some use for this if I can't wear it normally. Maybe I'll give it to Glaceon as a neckerchief, she might like that."

"Maybe," Ash replied, and waited for May to walk out before leaving the room himself.

* * *

The hours raced by. Ash, once he had extricated himself from Muk's grasp, had spent the first fifteen minutes of their _faux_-practice session giving the Sludge Pokémon a stern talking-to about his habit of smothering people.

"We can't afford for you to be doing this while we're on the run," he had said, further explaining that May was off-limits as well; Muk's poisonous touch, even if he just brushed against her, could be dangerous to the baby's health. Muk had looked downcast after this, but Ash had reassured him that he was still very much part of the team. "You just need to learn some self-control, that's all."

The practice session itself went well enough. Muk's attacks were limited, but Ash didn't care since the whole idea was to create an illusion, however quickly it would be dispelled. Glaceon had been overjoyed to see Pikachu again, and spent some time getting re-acquainted with the Electric-type. Even though he'd seen her in her current form before, Pikachu still couldn't get over the fact that she wasn't an Eevee anymore, but knew he'd have to get used to it. Everything seemed to be changing rapidly nowadays, he might as well keep up as best he could.

It felt like a few minutes when evening finally came, and Ash and May headed back into the Centre to make final preparations for departure. They had Nurse Joy do a quick check on their Pokémon, then they headed down for a quick dinner. To Ash's surprise, May didn't take quite as much food as she usually would, which she had a ready excuse for.

"You don't want me to overdo it while we're traveling, right? It applies here too. I don't want to eat too much, even if I do have our little passenger on board. It wouldn't kill me to eat a bit less anyway."

"If you say so," Ash said doubtfully, and focused on finishing his burger. Pikachu sat next to him, slurping ketchup from one of the bottles they'd picked up. Ash and May didn't say anything further, and the time soon came for them to go back to their room and prepare for their surreptitious departure.

* * *

The clock read five to ten. Ash had packed everything away, and had recovered his and May's Pokéballs from Nurse Joy. May was busy arranging her own pack, while Pikachu was sitting on her shoulder, keeping her company. The plan was to drop their room key at the front desk while Nurse Joy was on her rounds, then slip out and take flight to Johto. Ash hadn't briefed Pidgeot yet, but he figured he could do that once they were clear of the Centre. The Flying-type was well-rested, and Ash knew that even though the flight would be long, his friend would be up to the task.

May zipped her waist pack shut, then shook her hair out of its distinctive style. Ash stared when he saw her, and May smiled.

"Like what you see?" she asked, and Ash blushed at the tone she had put on.

"I've never seen you with your hair down. It looks good." Ash shook his head, then became serious. "Okay, the coast looks clear. Nurse Joy should be on the other side of the Centre, so now's our chance."

"Got it." The couple closed the door to the room as silently as they could, and hurried down towards the main foyer. May made for the sliding doors at the entrance as Ash placed their room key on Nurse Joy's desk, and they ran as fast as they could away from the Centre once the doors opened. After about a hundred yards, they stopped, and May doubled over, more tired than she'd usually been.

"Are you alright, May?" Ash asked, and she nodded. "Sorry, I forgot again. I really need to remember you've got someone besides Pikachu with you."

"I keep telling you, I'm fine." May coughed and Ash looked at her, unconvinced. "Okay, so I'm still getting used to this. I guess we just need to learn to tone it down, huh?"

"Yeah," Ash looked around to make sure no-one was watching, then tossed out Pidgeot's Pokéball. The Bird Pokémon stretched his wings and looked at Ash with a questioning look, wondering what they were doing out there in the dead of night. "Alright, Pidgeot, here's the deal. We're going to Johto, since the least number of our contacts are there. We're going to fly there instead of walking, and that's where you come in. You up for another flight?" Pidgeot trilled an affirmative, and dropped to the ground so Ash and May could mount up. Ash held out his hand to May, who was standing stock-still in front of him. "C'mon, May, let's get going."

"O-okay," May took Ash's hand and wrapped her arms around him as they assumed their positions, still frightened at the prospect of flying. She leaned her head on his shoulder, and Ash felt Pikachu jump onto Pidgeot's back as well. They were ready to go.

"Alright, Pidgeot, let's move. Head for the western border, then I'll tell you where we're going next." Pidgeot lifted off from the ground and raced into the sky, carrying the young couple with him.

* * *

**And we're clear! The destination is set, the plans are laid out, all they have to do is execute! There may be a thousand unanswered questions, but all that matters is that they're safe (for now at least).**

** A word of thanks goes out to everyone who voted for which region Ash and May should run to. The poll was actually pretty close, but in the end there was an initial surge in favour of Johto, and Kanto's neighbouring region won out. Therefore, as was revealed at the beginning of the chapter, I will be continuing the story from that perspective. The arguments for and against each region were compelling, and it was an interesting thing to think about. Note that I did NOT take the side stories into account when I thought about it on my own time (I think there was one that sent Dawn to Hoenn, but I prefer to stick to the main series when writing my stories). Thanks again for participating, folks.**

** Okay, so as usual, standard operating procedure is in effect. Please do read, REVIEW and tell me how it went! Until next time, _namárië_!**


	7. Seeking Sanctuary

** Hi and hello! Welcome, one and all, to Chapter 7 of _Inconceivable_! This time, we'll see Ash and May arrive in Johto and begin moving towards their semi-permanent sanctuary. What's in store for our favourite couple? Keep reading and you'll find out!**

** A/N: I will admit it now, I am terrible when it comes to indicating the passage of significant amounts of time in a narrative. I'm pointing this out because in this and several subsequent chapters, there will be some time accelerations; otherwise, the story will drag on forever and you guys might, rightly, get restless about that (and that's before you consider the issue of May's advancing condition). I will try to make the time skips as smooth as I can, but please don't come after me if they turn out to be too abrupt or jarring. Time and timing just aren't my strong suits in life or as a writer.**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon; Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.**

* * *

**INCONCEIVABLE**

**CHAPTER 7-SEEKING SANCTUARY**

* * *

Pidgeot flew through the night, doing his best to maintain a strong pace while staying mindful of his passengers, particularly his trainer's female companion. Pikachu had jumped into Ash's pack to get some sleep, while Ash and May planned to do the same once they landed. The scenery below them raced by, sprawling cityscapes blurring into long trails and fields and back again, while the darkness above slowly grew lighter as dawn approached. As the two teenagers felt themselves gradually becoming more tired, Pidgeot dropped into a gentle dive as they reached the outskirts of a small Johto town.

"There's our next checkpoint, May!" Ash pointed to the approaching town, not sure which one it was just yet. May yawned as she looked, ready to drop off to sleep already.

"Which one is it?" She really didn't care at this point, but it would help to know where they were, especially if the town happened to be heavily populated.

"I'm not sure yet, we'll find out once we land. I saw a clearing we can camp in, and we can get some sleep once we get set up."

"Let's hurry up then, I'm exhausted. I just know we're gonna end up with an erratic sleep pattern if we keep this up, and that's going to be bad news for my little companion."

"Don't worry, May. I'm scrapping the 'move at night' idea anyway, since it isn't practical. That way, we'll have a similar routine to when we were traveling."

"Well, let's hurry up then. The sooner we land, the sooner we can sleep." Ash nodded and watched the ground surge towards them as Pidgeot swept down to the floor of the clearing.

* * *

They didn't bother changing out of their normal clothes, since the dawn was arriving and they were desperate to get some rest. Ash pulled the tent out of his pack and pitched it quickly with Pikachu's help, and May took out her sleeping bag and prepared to curl up inside it. Once Ash knocked in the final peg, he ran to the edge of the clearing, which confused May.

"Ash, what are you doing?" She didn't want him running off, even for a few minutes.

"I'm checking to see which town we're near." He looked around a bit and saw a faded sign near an entrance to the clearing. "Okay, it says we're on the outskirts of Azalea Town."

"Oh, no!" May remembered that they often held a Pokémon Contest in Azalea, and she had won a ribbon last time she was here. Her performance that day had made her something of a local heroine, and she knew someone was bound to recognize her because of that. "Ash, if anyone sees me here, we're toast!"

"Don't worry about it. You're not gonna be wearing your bandanna, right?" May nodded sadly. "So no-one can tell it's you. The clothes you have on now aren't exactly uncommon, right?"

"I guess not. I _did_ bring a few copies of my old getup, though, so maybe I should wear that from now on? Without the bandanna, of course." she added quickly.

"Maybe." Ash honestly thought she looked better in her current outfit, but the change might help keep them out of view. "Let's figure that out when we wake up, though, I'm burned out." He let Sceptile and Heracross out of their Pokéballs and ordered them to stand guard over the campsite. May did the same with Blaziken, and the Fire-type stood next to the stoic gecko, who grunted a terse greeting. As Ash watched Heracross jump into the trees, he motioned for May to head into the tent. He waited until she was situated in her sleeping bag, then ducked in himself and zipped the flap once Pikachu had scampered in too. As Ash crawled into his own sleeping bag, he felt May staring at him, and he felt his face go red. Their feelings for one another were as strong as ever, but they had more important priorities on the horizon. The couple shared one last admiring look, then both drifted off to a welcome sleep.

* * *

The next day, after an abbreviated sleep, Ash and May went over a map of Johto to locate a town to aim for. Azalea Town was innocuous enough, but the prospect of recognition was too much for May to handle, and Ash acquiesced to her preference. He had already posited Ecruteak City as a possibility, which May seconded; it may be larger than some of the other towns they considered, but it was less populous than some of its neighbors, and it might be easier to find a place to settle there.

"I mean, what's not to like?" May had asked. "It's relatively out of the way, and we can blend in without being anonymous. Petalburg City's not much bigger when you think about it."

They discussed other options as well, each with its own set of pros and cons. The closest option, outside of Azalea Town itself, was Alto Mare, the island city to the south. Ash had been to the canal-strewn city before, meeting the legendary Eon duo along the way. The trouble was, the only port near them was all the way in Cherrygrove City, and May didn't want to have to backtrack in order to get there. Other ideas came in the form of Mahogany Town, which Ash tried to shoot down because of the hazardous trek required to reach it, and Olivine City, which May took exception too due to, of course, the Pokémon Contest there. The discussion continued even as they began moving, but they decided to leave it for when they were stationary. They set Ecruteak as the penultimate checkpoint, and would make their final decision once they got there.

* * *

Traveling again brought back a lot of memories for them, both good and bad. As they passed through Palmpona, Ash remembered the fiasco that nearly was during the Pokémon Swap Meet, the highlight of which was Jessie of Team Rocket's acquisition of her infamous Wobbuffet, trading her Lickitung in the process. When he relayed the story to May, she laughed, recalling the Patient Pokémon's antics as the Rocket Trio harassed them through two regions. May had been through the city as well, and reminisced on her running into her old rivals there, although she stopped when she got to Drew; Ash may not have borne a significant grudge against the arrogant Coordinator, but she didn't think it was right to keep bringing up his rival in love. Ash, for his part, was grateful that some of their panic had apparently been relieved. They would need to keep their spirits up somehow, and this was a perfect way to do that.

The majority of the journey was relatively straightforward, following the familiar pattern that their travels in Hoenn and Kanto had developed. They couldn't adopt their old pace, though, since Ash was adamant about May conserving her energy. May kept arguing she was fine, but her symptoms said otherwise, even if she would never admit to their effects. They stuck to the main roads as much as they could, while still being sure to camp out in less-trafficked areas. Time seemed to race by as they moved through towns and forests. Days were spent on the road, while nights were spent lying side-by-side in the tent, with the odd romantic gesture thrown in along the way.

Unfortunately, not everything was that simple or happy. Hazards like the Onix Tunnel required Ash to go back on his words about keeping Pidgeot under wraps, and the Bird Pokémon flew as high as was safe while still remaining out of sight. Other places, like the Ghost-infested forest near Len Town, required their Pokémon to defend them, a task that nearly all of their charges took on gleefully. Only Muk and Beautifly stayed out of the fighting, since their moves wouldn't be much help against ghosts. It was after this skirmish that May finally gave up her bandanna,tying it around Glaceon's neck and giving the fox a distinct look that Ash likened to Butterfree and his scarf. May was a bit upset to be relinquishing her favoured accessory, but knew it had to be done.

"Hey, at least now if Glaceon meets another of her species, you'll be able to tell them apart." Ash had said, and May reluctantly agreed with him despite the low probability of the concept. She might buy a few duplicates and give one the baby anyway, so it wasn't a total loss. She smiled at the idea, her child and Glaceon with the matching accessory. Even though she knew things would get more stressful, she could still think of the positives, and thinking of her child was the best positive she could imagine.

* * *

Days turned into weeks, and before they knew it they had reached the road leading to Ecruteak City. The night before they pushed for the city, they found a campsite in the National Park and set up as usual. After they let their Pokémon out, Ash got a campfire going, and May began preparing yet another round of instant ramen. Both of them had grown tired of the same cheap noodles every night, but it was something they were used to, and the ease with which they could be prepared was the main reason they brought so many of them.

May looked at her PokéNav as the noodles cooked, checking to see how long they'd been traveling. Combining their flight with Pidgeot with their travels on the road, it had been nearly a month since they'd left Pallet Town, meaning the whole ordeal had lasted almost a month and a half so far. One of the dates on the calendar looked familiar, too.

"May twenty-fourth," she said to no-one in particular. Glaceon and Pikachu perked up at the sound of her voice, and the pair ran over to her to find out what she was talking about. "Oh, hey guys. Nothing's wrong, if that's what you're thinking."

"Pika pikachu chu pi pika, ka-chu?" Pikachu was curious about why the date she'd just read out was so important. Glaceon voiced her own curiosity, and May smiled.

"Oh, the date? It's no big deal."

"What's no big deal?" Ash had heard as well, and he sat down next to her, wondering what she was talking about.

"May twenty-fourth happens to be my birthday." May knew Ash was awful at remembering dates, even if she'd celebrated a few birthdays during her travels. Ash, Brock and Max had been there for her in the old days, and her rivals had celebrated with her when she was by herself in Johto; those were the only times she could remember Harley ever being remotely civil to her. The strangest had been a Contest in Sinnoh when she'd turned sixteen, since the organizers had found out about it and kept announcing it every few minutes when she wasn't competing.

Her family had always called her as well—she felt a pang as she realized her family would now know for sure she was gone. The Terracotta Contest was almost certainly over by now, and Norman and Caroline would naturally have expected her to be back home. Although she knew they wouldn't publicize anything, they were probably contacting everyone they knew to try and find out where she might have gotten to. She felt the happiness that had buoyed her throughout the journey fade, replaced by a terrible sadness. Ash watched helplessly as tears came to her eyes, and he quickly wrapped his arms around her, hoping to calm her down.

"May, it's okay." He ran his hand through her hair, feeling her body shake with every sob. May simply cried into his shoulder, letting her pent-up emotions flow out in this simple gesture. "I know how you feel. There's not a day goes by that I don't miss my mom, and you definitely miss your whole family, even Max. It was hard for both of us to leave them behind."

"I-I know, Ash," May choked out the words, hardly able to speak. "It's just th-that I remembered how they used to always call me up, always ch-checking on m-me, a-and..." She couldn't continue, she just broke down again. This feeling was worse than losing a Contest battle, or any battle for that matter. It was personal, it was horrible, and it was painful to think about.

Ash waved his Pokémon away, not wanting them to be staring at him as he comforted her. He also tried to send May's group off as well, to spare them the sight of their trainer's distress. He concentrated on the young woman in his arms, kissing her hair, holding her close, trying as hard as he could to reassure her that the world hadn't ended. May buried her face in his shoulder, and he looked up at the sky as she did so, pondering the same old questions, with nary an answer to guide him. Things were down, and they now needed a bright spot fast.

* * *

**Wow. Depressing stuff, I know. So they've gotten as far as Goldenrod, at least, and they're almost to Ecruteak City, where they'll make a final decision on whether to settle there or somewhere else. I've always seen Ecruteak as a kind of crossroads, and it seemed like a good place for them to make that choice.**

** I know this chapter may come across as rushed, but I'll try to justify myself like I did in the pre-chapter notes. For starters, a lot of their traveling is repetitive to begin with (the anime is a particular offender when it comes to this), and I don't want to be sitting here several chapters down the line and they're still in the Ilex Forest or something. On top of that, at least from what I know, traveling like they used to isn't the best for May or her child's health, so it's probably best for them to just get where they're going.**

** Alright, enough flailing on my part. Standard operating procedure applies, so please read, REVIEW and tell me how it went. Until next time, _nam__á__ri__ë_!**


	8. A Glimmer of Hope

** Hi and hello! Here's Chapter 8 of _Inconceivable_, where Ash and May will reach Ecruteak and decide on whether to settle there. Will they? Will they not? Are there any last-second options? Read on to find out!**

**A/N: the first name I picked for Ash's cover name is obvious; the surnames (and May's cover name) will be revealed and/or explained later on.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon; Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.**

* * *

**INCONCEIVABLE**

**CHAPTER 8-A GLIMMER OF HOPE**

* * *

The next few days were spent moving along the road towards Ecruteak City. Ash had gotten hold of a local paper as they'd left the National Park, and after reading it through several times May was relieved that no-one in the press had gotten wind of their disappearance. As they got closer to the city proper, they saw more and more travelers, which didn't surprise them at all; Ecruteak was popular with tourists looking to see the two towers at either end of the old city, not to mention theatre-goers looking to catch a glimpse of the famous Kimono Girls, and that was before one took challengers at the Ecruteak Gym into account.

The walk from the National Park had taken them another week on top of the month and a half they'd been gone, and May's birthday was celebrated on the road again. It had been simple yet heartfelt, with yet another round of ramen substituting for a cake. May appreciated everyone's effort in making her day special; Ash had tried to put together what he obviously thought was something similar to a Contest routine, but only succeeded in freezing Muk solid after Buizel misjudged his Ice Punch. May loved the whole thing; she hadn't laughed so much in weeks, and it felt good to release some of her built-up emotions in a positive way for a change, instead of crying uncontrollably into Ash's shoulder.

The next evening saw them come within sight of the city gate. After setting up camp in a secluded spot off the road, the couple began discussing whether they should stay in Ecruteak or push into another town.

"I like the idea of Ecruteak, if only because it's so quiet," May said. "At the same time, Mahogany Town is even smaller and out of the way..." Ash cut her off.

"No way. We'd have to go through Mount Mortar to get there. That'll take weeks, and I still don't want you overexerting yourself, May. The cave is too dark to see in, and don't even get me started on the wild Pokémon in there."

"Okay, okay, I get it, no Mahogany Town. So what else is close by?"

"Well, there's Olivine to the southwest, and Whitestone is on the same route."

"Olivine? Ash, we've been over this, if a city has a big Pokémon Contest, someone is going to notice me. Remember, if some journalist or competitor recognizes either of us, it goes in the papers or some official material and we're outed. I think there's a Contest in Whitestone too, come to think of it, it seems like the kind of place that would host one."

"Okay, so we're basically choosing Ecruteak. Are we set, then? You know we're gonna have to find somewhere to settle, since we can't just stay at the Pokémon Centre for the next several months."

"I think so. We should stay at the Centre for a couple of days while we look for an apartment or something, Nurse Joy never asks too many questions. Who knows, she could help us out."

"That's true." Ash knew the Pokémon Nurse would be happy to assist them, and he could rely on her to keep the information to herself. "Alright, let's get a fire going and cook us something to eat, then we can relax a bit more."

"Fine." Within minutes, the fire was blazing nicely and they had polished off another round of instant ramen soon after it cooked. As the Pokémon began relaxing after their own meal—Ash had made sure to pick up enough Pokémon food to last them a while—the couple sat down next to one another on a log as the sun disappeared, tinging the clouds a deep pink. May looked at the brilliant sky, awestruck.

"Sunsets are always so beautiful," she murmured to no-one in particular. Ash smiled and put his arm around her as they watched the sky darken after the sun dropped out of view. May turned her body and snuggled into his chest, wrapping her own arms around him as she did so. Right now, all she wanted was his security and love, and that was what he gave.

* * *

Ash and May rose late the next morning, rested and ready to enter Ecruteak proper. After breaking down the camp and recalling their Pokémon, they moved at a brisk but measured pace into the city, passing several knots of tourists as they walked through the city gate. Ash kept his arm around May's shoulders as they walked along a crowded street, drawing some side-along glances from a few onlookers. The Pokémon Centre wasn't too far from the gate, and Nurse Joy greeted them warmly as they entered.

"Hello, and welcome to our Pokémon Centre! How may I assist such a fine young couple?" Ash flushed, and May looked at her feet.

"Ash, I think you can move your arm now," she whispered, and Ash removed his arm from her body. "Um, okay, we're just looking for a room for a few nights. We're actually looking for someplace to live in the city, so we thought we'd stay here until we get that done."

"Oh, that's wonderful! Just give me your trainer cards, and I'll check you into a room right away." Ash cringed as he realized the flaw in his plan; if Nurse Joy knew who they were, the ruse might unravel. May nudged him and they handed over the cards, and Nurse Joy's eyebrows rose as she saw their names. "Wait, I know these names..." Ash closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable shout of recognition.

"Do you?" May asked, and Joy nodded. "Okay, I know this sounds crazy, but can you _please_ keep our being here a secret? We kinda don't want anyone finding out we're here."

"Oh," Joy looked stunned, then nodded in understanding. "Of course. This, and anything else you should choose to tell me, is strictly confidential."

"Thank you so much," May was relieved that Joy wouldn't be blabbing about their presence. It felt good that at least one person in the city could be trusted. She could see the gaping hole in their plans, but she would bring that up with Ash later. "Come on, you two," she said to her boyfriend and Pikachu as she received their room key from the Pokémon Nurse. Ash followed quickly, wanting to get out of sight before anything else happened.

When they reached their room, May turned to Ash.

"Ash, we have a problem."

"A major one," Ash answered, nodding. "When we go looking for a place to live, they're gonna want to see some kind of ID, and when that happens, they'll know who we are for sure. I don't know if we can trust anyone in that area, which puts us in a bad spot. We can't live here at the Centre, and it's out of the question to camp outside the city."

"Right." May was worried. Things had gone so well up until now, it was hard to see things come unstuck now. "So what do we do?"

"I don't know. We can check the listings in the meantime, and maybe Nurse Joy has some recommendations."

"Maybe." May lay down on the bed and closed her eyes, trying not to get too worked up. Pikachu lay down next to her, his soft fur tickling her bare arm. She smiled as she moved her hand to stroke the little mouse, hearing him coo softly as her fingers ran through the yellow fur. Ash watched the pair, then moved to the door.

"Where are you going?" May sat up as she heard the door open. Ash motioned towards Nurse Joy's desk.

"I'm going to see if Nurse Joy can help us with our living situation."

* * *

"Well, I can help you look through the listings," Nurse Joy said after Ash explained their situation. "I can't vouch for any of the landlords around here, though. Especially in the cheaper buildings, they tend to be real fast-talkers."

"And they could rat us out to the papers or the cops anytime they wanted," Ash growled. "Alright, thanks, Nurse Joy. We really appreciate your help."

"Anytime. It's my job to assist a Pokémon Trainer in need, and I will do whatever I can to help the two of you." Ash thanked her again and went back to the room, where May had fallen asleed with Pikachu in her arms. He smiled and jotted down a quick note on a spare sheet of paper, then left the room again, preparing to at least take a look at what options Ecruteak City had to offer them.

May awoke a bit later, looking around for Ash and panicking when he wasn't there. She went for her PokéNav, then saw the paper on the dresser. She picked it up and read it, calming down when she realized what it said.

_"May." _it read._ Went into the city to look at living options. I'll be back by six, so don't worry that I'm gone. Stay in the room, we don't want anyone but Nurse Joy knowing we're here. ASH."_ She looked at Pikachu, who was oblivious to the whole thing, and sighed deeply. Ash would normally have taken the Electric-type with him, but it was obvious he'd left him behind to stay with her; Pikachu had preferred sitting in her arms to being on his shoulder anyway. Reassured, she dropped back down onto the bed and stared at the ceiling, letting her thoughts fade as she dozed off.

* * *

Ash wandered through the city, looking hard for a decent place to settle. He'd already passed several run-down buildings that looked like they hadn't been fixed in years, and even though he thought the rent might be lower there, he didn't like the state of them so he mentally crossed them off his list. It wasn't like he was looking to move into an upscale neighbourhood—if he did, they would've stayed in Goldenrod—but he wanted the place to appear decent.

This whole thing was, of course, new to him, and he wished he had his mom or at least Brock at his side to guide him. The listings in the papers and online could only tell him so much, and he wasn't sure he was up to negotiating a lease. In hindsight, he should've thought of researching this before they left, but he'd been so caught up in the shock of May's pregnancy and his own preparation for flight that it had never crossed his mind. _Score another one for poor judgment,_ he thought bitterly.

On he walked, past rows of houses that looked either too run-down or too pricey for them, until he reached a building he'd promised himself he'd avoid: the Bell Tower annex. People were flooding in and out of the stately building; even though the tower itself was usually off-limits to tourists, they still came to admire the relics in the annex and walk the Bellchime Trail, which appeared to be in perpetual autumn with the red and orange leaves floating down from the trees alongside it.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" a voice said from next to him, and Ash nearly jumped out of his skin. Beside him stood a tall, blond-haired man with a black shirt and a violet headband that matched his eyes. His purple scarf was tipped with red, and a strange symbol was pinned to it. Ash nodded to the stranger as he turned from the building. "You don't look like a tourist, though. What's your name?" Ash considered; he couldn't reveal his actual name, so he had to come up with a cover name quickly. He cast around and eventually said the first name that jumped into his head.

"I'm...I'm Satoshi. Satoshi Narazaki."

"Nice to meet you, Satoshi. I'm Morty, the Ecruteak Gym Leader. I usually hang around here when I'm not taking battle challenges."

"Sounds like fun." Ash wasn't sure what to do; he knew who Morty was, obviously, even though the Gym Leader looked different from when they'd battled all those years ago. He didn't think Morty recognized him, though, which made things a bit easier.

"It is. My primary hobby outside of being a Gym Leader is researching Johto folklore, particularly the legendary beasts that used to reside in the Brass Tower across town. The legendary Pokémon Lugia and Ho-Oh used to live at the top of each tower too...well, at least that's what the legend says." he added hastily, remembering that not everyone believed the legendary Pokémon actually existed. "So anyway, what brings you to Ecruteak City, Satoshi?"

"Well, I actually just moved here with my best friend...well, girlfriend," he clarified, deciding to just admit it rather than obfuscating. "We came into town earlier today, and we're hunting down a place to live."

"You're looking for a place to live? Maybe I can help." When Ash looked skeptical, Morty grinned. "Hey, not too many people move in; most of the people that live here have been here their whole lives. The least I can do is help aspiring new residents to find somewhere to settle."

"I don't know if it's going to be permanent, though. Plus, why would you help us out? We just met, and you haven't even met my girlfriend yet."

"Oh, don't be like that, man. Trust me, you're in luck. I've got a small place on the east side of town, and my parents just moved out when they retired to Hoenn. I can get you guys in there, no problem, for however long you think you're gonna stay."

"Are you sure?" Ash wanted to trust Morty, but something was nagging at him. This was so sudden, and so simple. _Watch out for things that go too well_, he'd read somewhere. He made his decision quickly. "Okay, Morty, why don't I talk to my girlfriend about this, and we'll come up with an answer as soon as we can."

"That's fine by me. If you want, you two can come over to the annex later and we'll discuss it together. It's only fair that both of you are in on this."

"Alright. Is tomorrow evening okay?"

"Anytime's okay, Satoshi, but the evening's probably better, since I don't usually have any challengers then."

"Fine. We'll be by the annex tomorrow, then." Ash shook Morty's hand, then headed back to the Centre to inform May of the news. Things had gotten easier for once.

* * *

**Yeah, not my best, I know. This chapter represents an odd way of going about things, but think of it this way: they've got enough problems as it is, and it's high time **_**something**_** went their way. Plus, it maintains their cover and makes it so only Nurse Joy knows who they actually are.**

** Funnily enough, one of the comments actually mentioned Morty, and that pushed the other plotline I had formulated out the door; it's a better idea than what I had in mind, anyway. Next chapter may be a change of perspective, depending on how I want to structure the coming installments. Watch this space, folks!**

** So, as usual, standard operating procedure applies. Please do read, REVIEW and tell me what you thought! Until next time, **_**nam**__**á**__**ri**__**ë**_**!**


	9. Settling In

** Hi and hello! Fresh off the heels of the debacle that was the previous chapter, here's Chapter 9 of _Inconceivable_, where Ash and May continue their hunt for a place to live in Ecruteak City. Is the offer they've gotten from Morty worth taking, or is this going a little _too_ well for them to drop their suspicions? Read on and you'll find out!**

** A/N: I know I said this chapter might be a change of perspective, but that's proven to be inaccurate. There will be one, of course, but I'm trying to find a good place to fit it into the narrative. This is also probably a good time to admit that I'm aware finding an apartment is _NOT_ as easy as I've made it here; it's my lack of experience in that department that has spawned the current situation May and Ash find themselves in.**

** A/N 2: I want to give a belated credit to commenter _Sawk71_, whose comment about Morty inspired the current state of events. Sorry I forgot in the last chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon; Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.**

* * *

**INCONCEIVABLE**

**CHAPTER 9-SETTLING IN**

* * *

"You _what_?" May could hardly believe her ears when Ash told her his news upon returning to the Pokémon Centre. "Ash, I don't believe this! How could you risk our identities like that?"

"May, I..." Ash was taken aback by her reaction; he'd expected her to be happier than this. "Believe me, Morty didn't recognize me at all, and I didn't give him any hints as to who I was, either. All he knows is that we're looking for somewhere to live, and he's willing to help us out."

"But Ash, you know we're trying to keep this secret! Nurse Joy is the only one who knows who we really are, and that should be it! If too many people know, we're finished!"

"Hey, I thought hard about this! I knew there was a risk, but it's safer than some random guy in the city knowing who we are."

"Ash, this is a _Gym Leader_ we're talking about here! He probably knows my dad, at least in passing, and if he finds out who we are, he'll tell him for sure! How do you know you can trust him?"

"He only knows the cover name I gave him! I came up with one for you as well, even though I didn't tell him that."

"That's not the point!" May was close to tears now, not believing what she was hearing. "We've gone to so much trouble hiding ourselves, and now you're going to expose us to _the__one network that could out us for sure_? If that's what we're going to do, we might as well go back home right now!" She turned from him, tears now flowing freely. Pikachu jumped into her arms and brushed his paw against her face, trying to calm her. She pulled the mouse to her, her body racked with sobs. As she gripped him tightly, she felt Ash's arms wrap around her and began to relax a little. She wasn't happy with what he'd done, but if only for the baby's sake, she felt like couldn't let herself get too worked up, no matter what she thought of his decision-making.

"May, I know this is a big risk; strike that, this whole trip has been a big risk. All I ask is that you please trust me. There is every chance that we could be noticed here, that's true. But we have an opening, and I want to take advantage of it. Whatever Morty's offering has got to be better than the alternative, right?" When May only whimpered in response, he continued. "Honestly, I'm doing all I can to prevent our real identities from coming to the surface."

"Ash...I don't know." May's voice was more of a whisper as she spoke again. "I really don't know."

"Please." Ash's imploring tone caused May to look at him strangely, not used to hearing him this way. "May, this is probably the best we're going to do. You trusted me when we started, right?" May nodded, her eyes still full of unspilt tears. "I'm asking you to trust me now. We won't be found out, I won't let that happen. You're the most important thing to me right now, and I'm trying to make things easier by doing this. Please, May." May looked into his eyes and saw a single tear make its way down his cheek. She closed her own reddened eyes and nodded.

"Okay. I don't like this, but if it's the best we can do, so be it. We'll talk to this guy and see what he's got on offer, and if it's good enough we'll take it. Let's get through tonight first, though. You can talk me through what we're gonna tell them tomorrow." She pulled him back towards her, placing a kiss on his cheek as she did so. Despite everything, she knew he was doing what he thought was right, and she felt she had to trust him. Was it right? Maybe not. Was the alternative riskier? Of course, but at this point they really had no choice. Did they?

* * *

The next evening, they walked over to the Bell Tower annex to discuss what Morty had to offer them. Ash had briefed May on their false identities, and May knew she had to stay calm despite the uncertainty of the situation. Pikachu had stayed at the Centre, since his presence could tip the Gym Leader off. The Mouse Pokémon knew he'd have to be revealed at some point, but they had to come up with an excuse for him first.

They found Morty standing at the door, accompanied by a middle-aged man in a purple suit and a white cape. May wondered what he was doing there; the unknown man looked more like a showman than anything else.

"Ah, Satoshi, good to see you." Morty greeted the pair warmly, shaking hands with Ash. "This is Eusine, my associate. Eusine, this is Satoshi Narazaki and his friend, the people who might be moving into my parents' old place." The caped man nodded to both of them, and Morty continued. "Eusine here is a fellow expert on the region's folklore, although he is a bit more aggressive in his study, particularly his futile pursuit of the legendary Pokémon Suicune."

"Don't believe that, friends," Eusine answered, looking miffed. "He just doesn't believe my dream of gaining the North Wind's favour is achievable. I have spent the better part of twenty years chasing it down..."

"And have failed at every attempt." Morty sounded like he didn't want his negotiations with the couple sidetracked by Eusine's single-mindedness. "Look, Eusine, why don't you go back to the Tower? There's still much to be done back there." Eusine nodded, bowed to Ash and May, and turned to head through the annex to the Bell Tower itself. "Sorry about him, he can be a little hotheaded in his pursuits." Pausing slightly, he looked at May with interest. "So anyway, who might this lovely young lady be?" May blushed before answering.

"My name is Haruka Igawa, and I'm Satoshi's girlfriend." she said, looking at the floor. "Satoshi and I are very grateful for your assistance, sir."

"The gratitude is mine, Miss Igawa. I'm always pleased to help out aspiring new residents. Why don't we continue this inside?" he added quickly, noting the darkening sky. "I'm eager to show you guys the photographs of the apartment, and I know you'll find it to your liking."

"Okay," Ash and May followed Morty inside, wondering what could possibly be coming next.

* * *

"So that's that," Morty said an hour and a half later, having shown the couple several rounds of pictures of the apartment, which had turned out to be a unit in a condominium. They had been impressed with the place, though they had fretted about the price, which Morty had tried to wave off. "It's not much, but it should suit you guys fine."

"I like it," May thought it was functional enough to suit their needs, and its location in a low-key area of the city limited their exposure. "What do you think, Satoshi?"

"It'll do." Ash liked the place too, but was still erring on the side of caution. "So how much are we talking, rent-wise?"

"Oh, don't worry about that; I've got enough to be going on with from running the Gym, so I don't need any more income to worry about. I'll deal with the upkeep costs and the homeowner's association too; some of those people are kinda difficult to work with, and the less you two have to deal with them the better. If you guys like it enough to stick around permanently, we can talk about an outright purchase." Ash nodded and turned to May.

"So, should we take this? It's probably the best we're gonna do." May thought, and then nodded back.

"I think we should. We still need to actually look at the place before we finalize this, though. When's a good time to do that?"

"We can go over to the apartment tomorrow afternoon, I should be finished with the challenger I have lined up by then. Any other questions?" When none came forth, Morty shook hands with both of them and bade them a good evening, and the couple left the annex to return to the Pokémon Centre.

"So, that went well," Ash said after a few minutes of walking. May nodded, but didn't say anything. "I mean, it's real nice of him to take care of the financial side of things, at least in terms of the apartment itself. That means less that we have to draw from our tournament winnings, right?"

"Right. If we had to cover absolutely everything, we'd be broke within two weeks with the amount we eat." May still wasn't convinced; they hadn't even seen the apartment in person yet, and she was still scared their new ally would find out who they were. "Ash, are we doing the right thing here? I said it last night, we barely know this guy, and it's too convenient. There's got to be something else going on here."

"Normally I'd agree with that, but I'm positive this is going to be fine. We're reading too much into things."

"I wish I had your confidence." May meant it; she'd been feeling down ever since her outburst the previous night, and not even Ash and Pikachu's presence was enough to lift her mood. "It just seems too easy. Remember all those times we ended up in Team Rocket's traps because we were off our guard? We could've avoided all that if we'd been a bit more perceptive. I'm just scared this is going to come apart."

"It won't, I'm sure of it."

"Alright, but if things go pear-shaped, I'm blaming you."

"Fair enough."

* * *

The next afternoon, they returned to the annex building to wait for the Ecruteak Gym Leader, who would show them the actual apartment he was offering them. Pikachu was with May, maintaining his watchful position in her arms, and Ash smiled at the sight.

"You look like a mother already, May, holding Pikachu like that." May blushed at the comment, and Pikachu sighed at the young man's words.

"Funny you should say that, 'cause I keep imagining what it's going to be like to hold our child as an _actual_ mother. Pikachu's proving to be a good stand-in." Pikachu cooed softly, knowing the sound would keep her calm; he liked the idea of being May's baby anyway, at least for now. May giggled and stroked his fur, and Pikachu began to doze off as she continued. After another ten minutes, they saw Morty approach from the general direction of the Gym.

"Sorry I'm late," he panted, having clearly run most of the way. "The challenger today was a pretty tough customer, and it took forever to finish the match." He took a moment to get his breath back, then smiled. "Alright, you two, let's head over to the building and we'll see the apartment. It's not too far from the annex, actually." He noticed Pikachu and his grin broadened. "Hey, you guys didn't tell me you had a pet Pikachu!" Pikachu stirred—he couldn't stand it when people thought he was just a pet—but didn't do anything else.

"Is that alright?" May asked, cradling Pikachu in her arms. In the back of her mind, she was glad that Pikachu didn't appear to spark any recognition from the Ghost-type specialist. "A lot of places don't let people stay if their Pokémon won't stay in a Pokéball."

"Are you kidding? It's brilliant! Almost everyone in the building has a Pokémon for a pet. The little kids there love playing with them outside, and I'm pretty sure there's at least one other Pikachu among them. Trust me, it's actually a benefit."

They headed east down a quiet street without too many buildings; May noted that it wasn't too different from the older neighbourhoods in Petalburg City. The relatively isolated position would favour them, of course; fewer tourists might come this way, despite its proximity to the Bell Tower. The building itself wasn't particularly tall—Ash counted only seven floors—but it looked in decent enough condition. As they entered the building proper, they noted the warmly coloured foyer and several paintings on the walls, a sight that seemed to welcome them into the building. They moved into an elevator just outside the foyer, and Morty hit the button for the fifth floor.

"The view from the apartment is really something," he said as the elevator moved upward. "It overlooks Bellchime Trail, so you can see the trees and the people walking to and from the Bell Tower. My parents insisted on that, they were obsessed with the place. They're the reason I began to study the old legends. I met my first Pokémon in the Bell Tower too, when I snuck in there once." All three laughed as the door opened, and they walked down a short hallway towards a row of doors. Morty looked at the numbers, and paused at the one numbered _506_. He drew a key from his pocket and unlocked the door, and opened it to the couple. "Here it is, guys."

* * *

The apartment was bigger than it looked in the photographs. Upon entering, May saw a kitchenette and a small table with a few chairs around it, and Ash noted the large living room area beyond. A couch and armchair faced an old TV set, and a door just behind the couch would lead to the small bedroom. Past the living room, a sliding glass door accessed a small balcony overlooking the Bellchime Trail, just like Morty had told them. The apartment was functional and not too fancy, just the way the couple had hoped for. Things were looking positive already.

Ash and May spent the next few minutes looking through the apartment, noting that the bed in the other room was indeed large enough for the both of them to be comfortable without overly tight proximity. May was stunned by the view, and wondered whether Fate itself had chosen to gift them this opportunity. Pikachu spotted the armchair and leaped from May's arms to lie down on one of the arms; he approved of the place, but it wasn't his decision.

"So, what do you guys think?" Morty asked once the couple had given the apartment a once-over. They looked at one another, and Ash nodded.

"We'll take it, Morty. I really appreciate you helping us out; it could've been a nightmare trying to find somewhere to live otherwise."

"Hey, any time, man. Like I keep saying, I love helping out aspiring new residents. Being a Gym Leader isn't just about battles and a rung on the Pokémon League ladder; I feel it's my job to help represent the best of Ecruteak City, and I think this is part of that." He held out his hand for Ash to shake, which he did, and he placed the key to the apartment in May's hand after he shook hers. "Alright, guys, you're all set. You know where I am if you need anything." Ash and May thanked him, and the Ecruteak Gym Leader showed himself out. As he closed the door, May turned to Ash.

"So, are we essentially settled now?"

"Yeah," Ash was relieved this aspect of their flight was over; now that they had some kind of stability, they could focus on building some kind of life in the city, if only for a few months. "This is it, then. Our life as Satoshi Narazaki and Haruka Igawa officially begins now. You think we can handle it?"

"I think so," May said as Ash wrapped his arms around her in a bear hug. "It may be tough to remember to use those names, but we'll get by." Without any prompt or warning, she moved her body slightly and pulled Ash into a kiss. This time, it wasn't a sudden gesture like back in Terracotta Town, but it was sharp and passionate nonetheless. Ash ran his hand through her hair as they stayed locked together, not wanting to break apart and end the moment. The fears of tomorrow were pushed aside for now; all they needed right now was their love for one another, and they focused on that.

Pikachu opened his eyes, then yawned as he spotted them. He didn't understand the concept of human love too well, but he knew that if Ash was happy, that was all that mattered. Who knew, maybe he'd find a mate someday too, although he'd never do what Ash and May had done. Chuckling to himself, the Electric-type closed his eyes again and went to sleep.

* * *

**Alright then, that's done with. Ash and May are pretty much settled, and their new life begins now. How long it's going to last, no-one knows (well, I guess I do, but I'm not gonna tell you guys just yet!).**

** A quick aside on the surnames I picked for them. For my other series, I've got a huge amount of material on the side, which includes both English and Japanese names for the characters. The Japanese surnames for the two main characters there are **_**Narazaki**_** (after Japanese footballer Seigo Narazaki) and **_**Igawa**_** (after ex-Hanshin Tigers pitcher Kei Igawa). I figured if I'm not going to use the Japanese names outside of my own personal notes, I'd use them here. The first names Ash and May are using should be obvious to most readers, but I felt I needed to explain where I got the surnames from. Do with that info what you will.**

** Alright, enough rambling. Standard operating procedure is in effect, so please read, REVIEW and tell me how it went! Until next time, **_**namárië**_**!**


	10. Parental Anxiety

** Hi and hello! Chapter 10 is here, mercifully on schedule! This chapter will cut away from the main characters and focus a little on their families as they realize that Ash and May are probably not coming home any time soon. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon; Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.**

* * *

**INCONCEIVABLE**

**CHAPTER 10-PARENTAL ANXIETY**

* * *

It had been at least three weeks since May had left for Kanto, and Caroline Maple was worried.

May hadn't contacted her since she last called from Terracotta Town. Caroline wondered why: the Contest would have been long over by now, of that she was sure, and May should have been back two weeks ago. It wasn't like her to disappear like this without telling anyone, and Caroline was also concerned that Ash had dropped off the radar as well. If May had actually gone missing, or if something had happened, he would have told them, right?

Norman had become concerned as well, but he coped in a far different way than his wife. His idea of overcoming stress was conducting longer and more intense training sessions than usual at the Petalburg Gym, and this normally meant that very few challengers left the Gym with a Badge when they battled him. Caroline had warned him about overexerting himself, particularly since Max would want to spend some time with him once he returned home from his journey, but Norman, stubborn as ever, made no indication that he had heard her.

Looking over from her chair, Caroline saw a picture of Ash and May that had been taken the day of Ash's homecoming party; May had framed the photo and placed it among the array of family pictures around the house. Ash had his arm around her, and May was relaxing into his chest; the picture was the first one of its kind, the two former traveling partners in love, a codifier of their young relationship. May had endured Max's taunts about the entire affair the whole way back to Hoenn, but to her credit she didn't react the way she would have if she was younger; instead of physically assaulting him, she retaliated by bringing up his budding romance with Vivi Winstrate, the youngest member of the battle-obsessed family they'd met outside Mauville City. Caroline had met Vivi once, when she and Max had buried the hatchet over their battle years earlier. She seemed like a nice girl, at least.

The sight of the photo pained Caroline a little. She was anxious about where her daughter had gone, and even though she had assured herself things would turn out alright, it wasn't easy not knowing where she was and what she was doing. She knew May couldn't have gone to Unova; a trip like that would require a lot of pre-planning, and besides, she would have told them anyway if she was going that far from home. She could have gone to one of the other regions, but someone would've told her by now if May had done so; the tabloids Caroline read all the time may have tipped her off as well. Only once had one of her rivals called since she'd disappeared; Drew was wondering if May was planning on coming to Unova to catch up with them, but Caroline had told him she wasn't around.

Shaking her head, Caroline headed towards the kitchen to start preparing for dinner. She'd begin trying to find her daughter tomorrow.

* * *

The phone rang a few times before Delia Ketchum picked up.

"Oh, hello, Caroline! This is unexpected."

"I know it is, sorry for the timing." Caroline wasn't sure if Delia knew where May was, but if Ash was with her Delia probably knew where he was at least. "Just wondering, but have you heard from Ash recently?"

"Ash? No, he hasn't called in a while." Caroline's heart sank. "Why do you ask?"

"Because May's missing too. She was supposed to meet him for the Contest, and she called when they got there."

"Odd. Ash never called me when he arrived."

"When was the last time he _did_ call?"

"I haven't heard anything from him since he left for Terracotta Town."

"Really? That's not like him, is it?"

"No, and I'm a bit worried. He always tells me when he's going off on a journey, so this is unusual in the extreme."

"I know how you feel. May doesn't call a lot when she's out and about, but dropping out of contact like this is cause for alarm."

"Do you think they're still together out there?"

"They could be. They just became a couple, after all, so it makes sense for them to be together."

"Oh yes, I forgot about that. It doesn't make their disappearance any less strange, though."

"No, it doesn't. I just hope they're okay. I know they'll look after one another if they are together, but I really wish they'd contact us soon, if at all. Not knowing where my daughter is is painful."

"I know. I'm really worried about Ash too; he's a big boy and can handle himself, but he could at least phone in and tell me what's going on."

"It would be nice. Okay, Delia, thanks for your help. I'm going to contact a few other people and see if they can help find May."

"Okay. I'll talk to Samuel—Professor Oak, I mean—and the Pewter and Cerulean Gyms to see if they know where Ash is. I'll phone back if anything comes up."

"Sounds like a plan." Caroline bade the Pallet mother farewell, then killed the link as she thought of who to call next.

* * *

Neither mother's search yielded any useful results. Professor Oak had been as perplexed as Delia regarding Ash's disappearance, and neither Brock nor Misty knew anything about it. Caroline had rung Johanna, Dawn's mother, who hadn't seen either of the wayward teenagers, although she had promised to contact Dawn and her friends to see if they had seen them. Norman had talked to his contacts at the Pokémon League, but no-one had a clue where they might be, which Norman couldn't believe because as a perennial contender, Ash was even more noticable than a talking Meowth.

A further call to the Terracotta Pokémon Centre didn't help either. Nurse Joy _had_ seen them, but only for a couple of days. They had disappeared since then, she told Caroline, and had left their room key behind, which led her to believe that they'd either found somewhere else to stay or skipped town entirely. The whole thing was strange because they would've needed to heal their Pokémon eventually, unless they were waiting until they got back home to do so, which was unusual and dangerous. She promised to contact the Contest organizers and see if they had any leads, although she cautioned that the odds of finding any were slim. Caroline thanked the Pokémon Nurse and ended the call, then returned to the living room and sank into a chair.

As she looked wistfully at the photo of May and Ash, she heard a knock on the door.

"Mom?" a familiar voice called out. Caroline jumped out of the chair and hurried for the door, knowing who was there. She opened the door and there stood Max, a few inches taller than when she'd last seen him. There was a tear in his green shirt, and his brown pants were rumpled and travel-worn.

"Oh, Max, you're home! I didn't think you were going to arrive for another few days."

"I had Gardevoir teleport me to the outskirts from Mossdeep City. She's proven really useful that way, although nothing beats walking." He entered the house and hugged his mother, then set his pack on the floor. "Where are Dad and May?"

"Dad's at the Gym, training as usual. May..." She paused, wondering what to say to him about his sister. "She's not here right now. In fact, I don't know where she is at all."

"That's weird. May's not the kind of person to just up and disappear like that."

"I know. Drew called asking for her, and I had to tell him she wasn't here. Delia—Mrs. Ketchum to you—doesn't know where she is, and none of her other friends have any idea either."

"What about Ash? He's her boyfriend, maybe he knows where she is."

"That would be true, except Ash is gone as well."

"What?" Max couldn't believe it. Ash and May were both gone? "Did you talk to Brock, or Dawn, or even those two people from Unova we met?"

"I talked to Brock, and Dawn's mother, and we had no luck. This whole thing is strange. May would have told us if she was going on an extended journey, especially with Ash."

"They probably thought it would be cool to run away together, and make us really uncertain for a while. Maybe they even eloped or something. It's an idea straight out of those movies May always watches..."

"_Max_!" Caroline snapped, and Max shut up instantly. "How could you think such a thing? They can't have eloped, they just started dating. Besides, they would never do that to us, they know better than to put us through that kind of stress!"

"Do they? They might've wanted to create some distance..."

"Alright, that's _enough_. I know you sometimes like to have fun at your sister's expense, but now is not the time, especially when she isn't here to defend herself. This is serious business, Max."

"Okay, okay, I know." Max knew that when his mother was this upset, it was usually advisable to get out of the area quickly. "Listen, I'm gonna dump my stuff upstairs, then head over to the Gym."

"Alright, just don't interrupt your father if he has a challenger." Max shouted in acknowledgement and ran upstairs, and Caroline sighed as she heard the phone ring again.

* * *

She headed over and saw the caller ID display of _Terracotta Town Pokémon Centre_. After pushing a button, Caroline saw Nurse Joy on the other end, a serious expression on her face.

"Thanks for calling, Nurse Joy. Any news?"

"Yes, and you won't like it. I've just spoken to the organizers of the Pokémon Contest. Apparently Ash and May never even entered the Contest, which makes sense since they took off so fast."

"_What_?" Caroline asked, shocked.

"Yes. Nobody in town has seen them, and the organizers don't have any leads. Do you want to involve the police?"

"Don't bother, they have enough to be getting on with. Did they have their Pokémon with them?"

"Yes, I saw them training the day before they disappeared."

"Okay," Caroline breathed a sigh of half-relief; if they had their Pokémon with them, they couldn't be in that much trouble. "Could you tell the other Centres in the region to be on the lookout? I'm not looking to start a nationwide search, but I want to make sure my little girl is alright."

"I'll do that. Don't worry, Mrs. Maple, we're here to help."

"Thank you." Caroline cut the transmission and put her head in her hands, struggling to hold back the tears. She had to face it; May was all but gone. Max came down the stairs and saw his mother there, and he rushed over to see if she was alright.

"Mom, what's wrong?" He hated seeing his mom this way, and knew things must be bad. Caroline dried her eyes and shook her head.

"Nothing...nothing's wrong, Max. I'm alright, don't worry. Go on ahead to the Gym, your father will be thrilled to see you." Max looked at her doubtfully, but turned and hurried to the door. Caroline watched him leave, then looked at May's photograph again, feeling tears come to her eyes again.

"Oh, May," she whispered to herself. "I hope you and Ash are alright."

* * *

**And we're clear! Bit shorter than the others, but trust me, the families ****will**** be important later on. Honestly, I wasn't sure where to put this chapter, but the plotlines will now likely interlace at times as the story progresses. I apologize if this was jarring, but you'll see why it's necessary later on.**

** Standard operating procedure is still in effect. Please read, REVIEW and tell me what you thought! Until next time, **_**nam**__**á**__**ri**__**ë**_**!**


	11. A Quiet, Normal Life

** Hi and hello! Welcome, one and all, to Chapter 11 of _Inconceivable_. This time, we will rejoin our favourite couple and see what direction their lives have taken since they settled in Ecruteak. Without further ado, let's get this train wreck a'rollin'!**

** A/N: again, I know finding the job Ash does is not as easy as I've written it. File that under "pointless distractions from the plot", I guess.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon; Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.**

* * *

**INCONCEIVABLE**

**CHAPTER 11-A QUIET, NORMAL LIFE**

* * *

The weeks went by. If it weren't for the fact that she and Ash were essentially fugitives, hidden from their families, May would have thought she was living normally in Ecruteak City. At least, _she_ was. Ash wasn't home yet; he had been insistent on finding some kind of work in the city, and had actually found a job close by, even though it was fairly intense for a young man his age. May knew he could probably handle it, but her sharpening maternal instinct was urging her to protect him.

Of course, they'd argued for hours when he first brought up the prospect of working in the city. She knew he was trying to take some kind of responsibility, but she didn't like the idea of risking their identities just to support her. He had argued, rightly, that their tournament winnings wouldn't last forever, and that he needed to find a job eventually if they planned to maintain their secret life indefinitely.

"May, I've seen how fast those tournament winnings disappear on you." he'd said, indicating that he was going ahead no matter what. "It's mainly my fault we're in this mess, so it's only right that I keep up my end of things." He'd told her what she already knew in her heart: he was doing this all for her, and for their child. His words right after this declaration stuck in her mind: _"After all, I've got a family to support, now."_ May knew that when he was set on accomplishing something, he wasn't to be dissuaded, and she'd simply told him to be careful.

She sighed and looked out at the bright June midmorning with its cloudless blue sky, a sleeping Pikachu in her arms, and closed her eyes. Her condition would be advancing as time went by, and she knew their child would come before she knew it. She smiled, and stroked Pikachu's fur gently as she moved back from the window. She trusted Ash to get this right, and even though she was worried about maintaining their cover, she knew he would do anything to keep her safe. He could be rash at times, but this time his rashness was because he loved her, and in turn she was worried because she loved him.

* * *

"Alright, Buizel, let's get this thing cut! Water Gun!"

After consulting with Morty, Ash had landed a job helping renovate a section of the Bell Tower that had fallen into disrepair. He had been worried about the overseers trying to gain some further proof of his identity beyond Morty's word, but the Gym Leader had managed to get around that obstacle. After a few quick tests, he'd been assigned to help cut the wooden beams that would be used to repair the tower, and had therefore brought Heracross and Buizel to help in this endeavour.

Buizel had been taught to concentrate his Water Gun into a thin stream that could cut through the thick wood, eliminating the need for specialist equipment. A fellow Worker's Wartortle observed the Sea Weasel Pokémon as he worked, proud of his pupil's handiwork; the Wartortle's master had been assigned to teach Ash how the job was done, and used Wartortle to demonstrate. It had taken a few tries, but neither Ash nor Buizel would give up, and soon enough they had gone from off-angle cuts to straight clean ones, impressing both Worker and Pokémon.

Once Buizel had cut a beam, Heracross would carry it over to where another gang of Workers would put it into place. Ash was grateful he'd thought to take the Bug- and Fighting-type with him now; most Workers carried at least one Fighting-type, appropriate given the nature of their job. In turn, both Pokémon were happy to have something to do, instead of staying at the apartment all day. Buizel, though he would have preferred to battle, was keen to put his skills to work, even if that meant answering to another Pokémon.

As he watched Heracross carry another beam away, Ash breathed deeply and wiped a bead of sweat from his face with a gloved hand. Morty had helped him find the appropriate clothes for this line of work, and Ash felt like a Worker now, even if his yellow vest marked him as a rookie. As a small kid, he'd always found the career fascinating, working in tandem with Pokémon and a few machines to build structures like the Bell Tower. Now, actually doing the job instead of wondering about it, he felt like a kid among men again, and not just because he was a young newcomer. He'd been eager to learn the job, and thankfully the guy he was working under had been patient with him, guiding him through his training and making sure Ash knew what he was doing and what was expected. Ash, in turn, listened intently to him, knowing how important it was to know exactly what you were doing on a building site. He couldn't rush, or put his own spin on things like he might during a battle; everything had to be exactly as planned, no room for error or licence.

The afternoon dragged on, and eventually the shift supervisor called a halt to the day's work. Ash and Buizel stepped back from the pile of wooden beams, both tired but happy with their work.

"Hey, Narazaki, nice work today." The Worker addressing Ash had a gruff voice, his accent heavy and pointing to a big-city upbringing. "You've really picked this up quick."

"Thanks, Biff. I have a great teacher." Ash chuckled inwardly at the idea of being someone else's student for a change. He'd been May's teacher when they were traveling, so now he sort of knew how she felt. "Buizel's been doing most of the work, though. I think he's the one deserving the praise."

"Of course, Buizel's learned fast, too. I've never seen a Pokémon more eager to put his strength to work." Buizel raised a paw in agreement, feeling very proud of himself. Ash grinned and watched as Heracross flew over. "How's the girl back home?"

"She's okay." Ash had mentioned the fact that May—no, Haruka, he had to remember that—was his girlfriend, but didn't elaborate much further, especially not about her pregnancy. The last thing he needed was these people to know about that. "We're just getting used to living out here, it's different from where we used to live."

"I hear that. This city is so much quieter than Goldenrod, that's why I prefer it here; the competition for construction work isn't as stiff, either." Biff had worked heavy construction in the Johto capital before moving out to Ecruteak, taking his wife and two daughters with him. As he'd told Ash, part of the appeal of training the younger Workers was passing on the experiences he'd had as a young buck himself; he'd been lucky enough to have a knowledgable, understanding mentor, and he felt it was important that the newcomers had that kind of foundation, contributing to a stronger workforce. A lot of trouble could be avoided if the old guard just took the time to help the younger generation, he said.

The other workers started packing in for the evening, and Ash and Biff did the same. Biff's friend Sully came over as they collected their stuff; he was a powerful man who didn't talk much, but he could carry twice as much as a regular worker, which made him invaluable on the site. His signature Pokémon, a Machoke, stood beside him, visibly exhausted from a long day of carrying material back and forth. Sully had been doing the same, and Biff nodded to him as he walked over.

"Hey, Sully, how's it goin'?" Sully nodded back in response, and Biff grinned. "Same old, same old, huh pal? Don't worry, this job shouldn't take us too long. After all, you and Machoke are doing half the work anyway." Ever the stoic, Sully didn't smile, but Ash could tell he was amused nonetheless. If the pair were together, Biff did most of the talking, while Sully simply stood there, working through the older Worker's bantering. "Alright, Sully, we'd better head home, me and the wife are celebrating our anniversary tonight."

"Oh, I didn't know that, congratulations Biff."

"Thanks, Narazaki. It's been twenty-six years, but we're still goin' strong. If you ever get around to marrying your girl, you'd be wise to remember stuff like that. Sandra was ready to kill me when I forgot last year, but the daughters remembered for me and I got off easy."

"I hear ya. See you tomorrow, guys." With a quick wave, Ash slung his jacket over his shoulder, punched out, and started back towards the apartment.

* * *

May was asleep when Ash returned home, and Pikachu was lying on the arm of the couch next to her head. Ash smiled at the sight and hung his jacket on the back of a chair, taking care not to wake either of them. He poured himself a glass of water and bolted it down before starting on making dinner; he'd insisted on this as well, despite May's protests that she was well able to take care of it. The sound of his preparations woke Pikachu, though, and the mouse ran over to greet his trainer.

"Hey, buddy," Ash whispered, scratching Pikachu behind his ears. "Did you take good care of May for me?" Pikachu nodded, miming falling asleep soon afterward. "She's been asleep most of the day, huh? I'm not surprised, she's been through a lot." He knew she must be under infinitely more stress than he was; her condition would be changing by the day, and not having him around would weigh on her too. Ash was convinced he was doing the right thing, but to tell the truth, he hated leaving her by herself. Even though they'd been separate for years, it seemed like his several hours of absence were weighed heavier on both of their minds.

It didn't take long to throw the meal together—it was just a chicken and vegetable dish his mother often made, though he didn't add anything elaborate the way she usually did. It definitely wasn't as good as Brock's cooking, but Ash had learned enough from the Pokémon Doctor-in-training to have some competence in this area. As he started to clear up, he saw May stir out of the corner of his eye; the prospect of food was one of the few things that could wake her up almost instantly. Ash grinned as he went about his work; she'd be thrilled to see him, and doubly so because there was food involved. He continued to clear the cooking stuff away as she came into the kitchenette, and put down the skillet he was holding as he felt her wrap her arms around him from behind.

"Hey, May," he said as he turned to embrace her properly. May relaxed into his chest, silently overjoyed he was back. "I'm guessing you missed me, huh?"

"More than anything," May responded, her voice slightly muffled. "Was it okay down at the site?"

"Yeah, Buizel and Heracross worked really hard. It's a good thing I brought them."

"It is. If Heracross wasn't with you, I'd have sent Blaziken with you."

"True, but I don't want to take your Pokémon from you, May. Their place is here with you, not working for hours on some building site." He released May and turned towards the food that was waiting on the counter. "I did the cooking tonight, I figured you had enough going on."

"It's not a problem, really. You put yourself through enough."

"Trust me, it's better this way." Ash moved to grab the food from the counter. "Why don't we just eat and not worry about whose responsibility it is?"

"You had me at _eat_," May said, giggling, and they moved swiftly to make it happen.

* * *

**Alright, that's that, folks! Not as long (or good) as previous chapters, but I wanted to include a standard day to hopefully add a realism to the plot, as well as provide a stopgap between this and the next facet of the story. Plus, I've always found it funny imagining Ash's future career if he weren't a Pokémon Trainer, and the Worker trainer class popped into my head, so I ran with that (it was either that or working at a railway yard, folks, just to show how strange my thought process is).**

** Okay, standard operating procedure is in effect. Please do read, REVIEW and tell me how it went! Also, if you're interested, I may update my other story later tonight, or this weekend if I haven't done so then, so check it out if you want. A very happy Thanksgiving to those readers who celebrate it, and until next time, _nam__árië_!**


	12. Cracks in the Walls

** Hi and hello! We've reached Chapter 12 of _Inconceivable_, and things are beginning to move along for Ash and May. What will happen in this installment? Keep reading and find out!**

** A/N: I want to put out a big thanks to FFN user _Neonz_ for her very helpful commentary on the last chapter. As they say in Germany, _danke schön, Fräulein Neonz_!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon; Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.**

* * *

**INCONCEIVABLE**

**CHAPTER 12-CRACKS IN THE WALLS**

* * *

While Ash was at work, May spent most of her time in the apartment, usually only venturing out to let hers and Ash's Pokémon get some exercise. Pikachu and Blaziken often took charge here, allowing May to relax and think for a while. As she did so, her thoughts usually turned to their current situation. She was worried about the long hours Ash was working, despite his reassurances about his safety. It wasn't so much the time he spent away from the apartment that worried her. He had insisted on taking on nearly every responsibility: cooking, shopping, taking care of their Pokémon, he didn't care, he'd do it. On other occasions she would have argued further with him and tried to shoulder some responsibility herself, since she didn't want him to burn himself out. But she knew that he was trying to make things easier on her, and she decided to defer to him for now. Once the baby arrived, they could further work out the division of responsibilities.

As she watched the Pokémon running about, she would see small children walking through the complex with their parents, occasionally stopping to look at the Pokémon as they played or mock-battled. May had always been fascinated by children; at least in the apartment complex, they tended to be much too young to embark on a Pokémon journey of their own, reminding her a little of a younger Max with his non-stop talking about what he would do when he got his first Pokémon. She had been happy for him when he finally got started, going with Norman to find the Ralts he had cared for when he'd traveled with May, Ash and Brock. Of course, she couldn't speak for the younger generation, but May always hoped that the newest crop of Trainers could be as caring as her brother and friends. Several of Ash's Pokémon had had abusive trainers before—his collection of Fire-type starters rescued from such trainers was a trend she'd noted when she'd seen his full stable—but her idealism led her to believe that these trainers were a negligible minority. To her, taking care of a Pokémon were sort of like taking care of a child, although she had no experience with the latter and was going to have to find some source of information on the subject.

Thinking of Max and her other friends depressed her a little; she knew many of them could be helpful, even her Contest rivals. She wondered if Ash felt the same way, since he had left his friends and family behind as well. This whole ordeal was his idea, but he had to be feeling some strain. Pikachu seemed content enough, but he was used to being away from everybody. To top it all, even though she'd traveled alone before, the fact that nobody knew where she was weighed heavily on her conscience, and made her wonder if this was worth the effort they'd put in. With this painful thought in her mind, she called the Pokémon over and recalled them, ready to take them back to the apartment.

On her return, she ordered Pikachu and Glaceon to watch the premises while she went to take a quick shower. Both gladly took on the responsibility, and May felt her earlier depression fade slightly; Pikachu and Glaceon had grown closer in their time together, reminding May of hers and Ash's own relationship. The two of them were constant companions during their short time together in Kanto, with the young Eevee replacing Combusken in that regard. While the two might not become quite as close as their trainers—and May realized that her closeness with Ash was half-forced at the moment— she often wondered what might happen if one took the other as a mate. It would certainly upset Dawn's Buneary if she found out—_don't think about Dawn_, May told herself as she headed towards the bathroom. _Don't think about any of them. You'll only make yourself more upset if you do_.

* * *

Down on the building site, Ash heard the tone signalling a break in the workday, and he sighed heavily as he told Buizel and Heracross to break off their moves. The other Workers around him were putting their work down and preparing to eat lunch, and he moved to do the same. Biff and Sully were already sitting near a pile of beams, and Biff motioned to him as he gathered his stuff.

"Hey, Narazaki, come on over and relax a little. I know you're workin' hard, but don't blow yourself out. There's still a whole half-day to get through, after all."

"Oh, trust me, this couldn't come sooner." Ash tossed two containers of Pokémon food to Heracross and Buizel, then grabbed the small container of leftovers he'd brought with him and started eating, realizing just how hungry he was. Even though he wasn't putting in as much of an effort as his two Pokémon, the job was still stressful. "I think the heat's starting to get to me, honestly."

"Don't let the foreman hear ya say that," Biff joked, feigning a panicked look over his shoulder. "Trust me, having a break now is probably for the best. It lets you decompress during the worst heat, and you regain enough energy to power through the rest of the day. But believe me, it's gonna get worse, so don't think that the heat right now is as bad as it feels."

"If you say so," Ash replied, and turned to look at the newspaper Biff had brought with him, and raised an eyebrow as he recognized where the paper was from. The paper's wordmark identified it as the _Nimbasa Post_. "Hey, Biff, I didn't know you read the Unova papers."

"I just read it for the sport section, Unova's a great place for that. Take it if you want, I'm done with it." Ash nodded and took a quick glance at the cover. A small box above the main story read _Sharpedo 5, Ducklett 1: Surging Sharpedo Win in Nimbasa Romp_, but the cover story itself made his heart beat a little bit faster; the people involved looked familiar. Deciding to deal with it when he got home, he rolled the paper up and stowed it in his bag before returning to his lunch.

After a few more minutes, Biff spoke again.

"Hey, Narazaki, you got any plans for tonight?"

"Not really, why?"

"Well, I told Sandra about you and your girl, and she's really keen to meet you both. Why don't you two come on over to our place for dinner tonight? I know my daughters would love to meet you guys too." Ash considered; he didn't know if May would be keen on the idea, but he knew he shouldn't turn down the invitation. Plus, it would mean he didn't have to cook again tonight; it wasn't like he was bad, but he guessed that he and May had gotten a bit spoiled by Brock's cooking.

"Sure, Biff, we'll come. Just give me the address after work and we'll be there."

"Terrific. We'll be waitin' for you." Biff grinned and put his lunch away, indicating that Ash should do the same; it was time to get back to work.

* * *

May wasn't asleep when Ash got home, but instead was staring out the window at the Bellchime Trail, watching the tourists and workers walk along the path. As Ash shut the apartment door, she turned and saw him, tired and covered with dust. Pikachu hurried over to him, and he scratched the mouse's ears as May followed him. Ash took the newspaper out of his bag and unrolled it, putting it down on the table for May to see.

"Biff gave me this paper, and I thought the cover story might interest you." May wondered why Ash had a copy the _Nimbasa Post_ with him, but decided to ignore it until she'd read the story he had pointed out. She looked past the story of the hockey game to look at the cover picture, then stepped back from the table as she recognized the people in it.

The cover photo was split in three. The first photo was a man in a green costume, his purple hair falling from under his triangular hat; apparently, Harley wasn't giving up his favoured getup any time soon. He had a Cacturne next to him, and had formed his fingers into a heart gesture. The second was obvious to May; she'd recognize Drew anywhere, and he was pointing at the camera with a rose in his other hand. The third photo showed a woman with muted pink hair and a long orange shirt, her expression determined: Solidad.

May closed her eyes as she looked at the photos, knowing that she missed their subjects more than she was willing to admit. Sure, Harley was always trying to upstage her, and Drew was her strongest competitor, but they were friends nonetheless. She opened her eyes again and began to read the story.

_Unova Contests Dominated by "Big Three" Coordinators_, the headline ran. May turned the page to read the actual copy. _"The first-year Unova Grand Festival lineup has seen an unprecedented run of dominance by three out-of-region Coordinators. Drew Stanton, Harley Richardson and Solidad O'Brien have established a very high standard for fellow competitors, and have regularly faced one another in Contest finals. This kind of dominance is unheard of in most regional competitions, but spectators are continually thrilled by their performances. Of the ten Contests that have currently been completed, these three have won eight of them."_ May was impressed; at least they were competing well without her. Her heart sank, though, as she read the rest of the piece.

_"However,_ a_ccording to Mr. Stanton, winner of the Nimbasa City Contest, a fellow competitor by the name of May Maple has opted not to compete in this regional Festival. Mr. Stanton has stated that Miss Maple's skill is on a par with the so-called Big Three's, and that her presence would no doubt light up the Unova Contest circuit. Miss Maple was the runner-up in the Sinnoh Grand Festival, and Mr. Stanton has expressed disappointment that she chose not to travel to Unova._

_ 'I talked to her after we finished up in Sinnoh, but she told me she didn't want to travel so far from home. While I respect her decision, it really isn't the same without her.'"_

May felt tears come as she finished reading the story. Her rivals missed her—well, at least Drew did. She knew there was nothing to be done, but it still hurt that she couldn't compete. With a baby on the way, she wouldn't have been able to go to Unova no matter whether she wanted to or not, and she might not be able to get back to Coordinating once she became a mother. Sure, she could do it a few times, but with a family to take care of, Coordinating would have to take a back seat to everything else. She turned away to wipe the tears from her eyes, knowing it was a pointless exercise to be crying now.

"May? Are you alright?"

"Yeah...yeah, I'm alright, Ash." May blinked once, then looked back at Ash. "It's just a bit of a surprise to see my old rivals in the paper. What I'm really confused about is why you have a Unova paper with you in the first place."

"Oh, that. Biff gave it to me at work, and I noticed the cover story and thought you'd be interested."

"He probably wasn't reading it for the cover story, though."

"No, of course not. Hey, I didn't tell you, we've been invited out tonight."

"Really? By whom?"

"Well, Biff's wife apparently wants to meet us, so Biff asked if we'd come over around seven-thirty tonight. I told him we'd go, is that alright?"

"Uh, sure, Ash." May knew these people couldn't possibly recognize her, but she still remained a little suspicious. "Just out of curiosity, how much have you told this Biff guy about us?"

"Not much. He knows we live nearby and that we're a couple, but that's it."

"Okay." Now May felt better; if Biff and his family didn't know that much about them, it was safe. "Alright, if we're going to get there, we've got to get ready. That means you need to hop in the shower _now_, mister." Ash looked surprised, but then grinned and hurried off to clean himself up. May giggled at the sight, then headed back herself to find something nice to wear for the evening.

* * *

**Okay, not too much happening here, but hopefully it can set up a few more events in the future (trust me; the next chapter is kind of important). I've been waiting to use that newspaper story for a while, but I struggled to find a place for it; this chapter seemed like a good time. A thousand apologies for the non-indicative title, but I thought having May remember her rivals would be jarring to her, reminding her that she is away from her friends, and breaking a bit of her resolve and confidence in their situation. File that under **_**stuff I already knew**_**, I suppose.**

** Alright, standard operating procedure is in effect. Please do read, REVIEW and tell me how it went! Until next time, **_**nam**__**árië**_**!**


	13. Help Unlooked For

** Hi and hello! Welcome to the thirteenth chapter of _Inconceivable_, where May and Ash will spend an evening with Ash's coworker and his family. What can we expect from this encounter? Keep reading and find out!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon; Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.**

* * *

**INCONCEIVABLE**

**CHAPTER 13-HELP UNLOOKED FOR**

* * *

Around seven o'clock, Ash and May left their apartment and started over to the address Biff had given them. May had changed out of her current outfit for something a little more formal; a pink blouse over a black skirt and tights looked a lot better than a sleeveless shirt and biker shorts. Ash, for his part, had gone for a blue mock-turtleneck over dark pants, abandoning his sweatshirt in the process. They decided to leave Pikachu at home, and made sure to leave enough Pokémon food out for the whole gang back at the apartment. As before, Pikachu and Glaceon were left in charge, and May trusted them to keep order while they were out. She smiled as she watched Glaceon position herself near the window; the fox had become her go-to Pokémon since mid-Johto, so it made sense to trust her with this responsibility. Besides, if her assumptions were correct, Glaceon's calming presence would complement Pikachu's natural demeanour, meaning that they could expect no trouble when they got home.

The walk itself didn't take too long. Biff's home wasn't too far from the Bell Tower annex, and was located in a row of respectable-looking houses. May noted the repetition of certain features in the houses' construction; most notable of these features were the archaic lampstands outside each house, most of which weren't lit yet because it was still early evening. Here and there, small Pokémon ran in and out of some of the houses, sometimes followed by their owners. The scene reminded Ash a little of evening walks in Pallet Town, only in a much bigger city—similar scenes were undoubtedly being played out everywhere, including his hometown.

Ash lost himself a little in his thoughts as they walked, wondering what might be going on at home. His mother was no doubt worried about him, but being the subtly strong-willed woman she was, she wouldn't let anyone see it. Mimey would be finishing up his chores around the house, and Delia would be getting ready to eat something herself. The sounds of parents calling their children in for dinner would be echoing through the quiet streets, and the Pokémon in the area would be going to ground or into the trees, their day almost over too. Professor Oak's lab would no doubt be a centre of activity, since this would likely be feeding time for the Pokémon under his care. The vision was a bit painful, and Ash wondered if May was thinking along a similar line. Petalburg was a lot bigger than Pallet, but the idea could be applied anywhere.

"Uh, Ash?" May said as he drove the thought from his mind. Ash stopped and turned to look at her.

"Yeah?"

"We're here."

* * *

Ash looked and saw that they had indeed reached the address he'd been given.

"Oh, right. 143 Enju Road." He pondered the words for a few seconds, as if testing how they sounded. Shaking his head, he walked with May up the short path to the front door, then knocked on the door twice. After a moment, the door opened and there stood Biff, his black hair visible since he wasn't wearing a hard hat now.

"Ah, Narazaki, good to see ya!" Ash shook hands with Biff, who then turned to look at May. "And this beautiful young lady is your girl, I take it?"

"Y-yes, sir," May answered, feeling her face grow hot. "My name's Haruka. It's very nice to meet you."

"Good to know ya. I'm Biff, I work with your boyfriend on the building site. I taught him everything he knows, isn't that right, Narazaki?"

"It's true. They assigned Buizel and I to work with Biff and his Wartortle, and he really helped us get used to the job."

"And he's doin' a darn good job of it, too." Biff laughed, then turned to let them in. "Come on inside, guys. Sandra and the kids are dyin' to meet ya." Ash nodded and turned to May, who lowered her eyes as she followed him in, still a little nervous about everything.

The inside of the house was welcoming—the walls were painted a soothing blue, and various flowers sat in a vase on a small table in the entry hall. May could see into a small, modestly furnished living room to her right, where two young girls sat waiting for their mother to call them. The other doorway led to the kitchen, from which a series of loud noises was emanating. As Biff shut the front door, May saw a red-haired woman poke her head out from the left-hand doorway.

"Are those two kids you invited here yet, Biff?"

"Yeah, Sandra, they just came in." The woman stepped out of the doorway, smiling and bowing as she saw the young couple in front of her. Sandra was a pretty woman in the prime of life, with calm blue eyes not dissimilarly coloured to May's own. Her white apron covered a red blouse, and her hair was straight and tied back. Her smile was a quiet, unassuming one, but she regarded May in particular with great interest.

"Oh, there you two are. It's a pleasure to finally meet you both. I'm Sandra, as Biff's doubtlessly told you."

"It's an honour, ma'am," Ash said, nodding respectfully. "Biff's taught me a lot, ma'am. If it weren't for him, I'd be having a tough time down where we're working."

"Well, he's always talking about the importance of mentorship." Sandra looked back into the kitchen for a second, then turned back to her guests. "Anyway, dinner's not quite ready yet, so why don't you two wait in the living room, and I'll call everyone when dinner's ready. Our daughters are keen to meet you as well."

"Sounds good," Ash said, turning to move to the other room. May walked after him, some of her nervousness dissolving. Sandra seemed nice enough, and she'd heard enough of Biff to sort of know what to expect. As she entered the other room, she nodded to the two girls sitting on the couch, and dropped down into an armchair. After a few moments, one of the girls spoke.

"Hi!" The girl had red hair like her mother, and looked to be around eleven or twelve. "My name's Mary, what's yours?"

"I'm...Haruka," May answered. The other girl, whose short hair was reminiscent of her father's, spoke up next.

"You know, you look kinda familiar, Haruka."

"Familiar how?" May's heart raced; this girl couldn't possibly recognize her, could she? To her relief, the older of the two girls jumped in before the other could answer.

"Kathryn!" Mary chided her sister. "Don't be so rude!"

"Hey!" Kathryn's voice went higher, annoyed at Mary's scolding. "She looks like my favourite Coordinator, that's all! How's that rude? I mean, it's a compliment!"

"Because maybe Haruka doesn't like it when people compare her to celebrities. It's _not the proper thing_, Kathryn." Mary looked at May apologetically. "Sorry about my sister. She's obsessed with Pokémon Coordinating, and she'll point it out if anyone looks like someone she's seen in a Contest." May nodded, secretly relieved; even if Kathryn figured anything out, that one trait would mean she was less likely to be believed.

"I'm not _obsessed_, Mary! I just love it so much, I can't think about anything else!"

"That's what obsessed _means_, Kathryn." Kathryn stuck her tongue out at Mary, who simply shook her head. At that moment, Sandra's voice echoed through the house calling them in, and they all headed for the dining area.

* * *

Dinner was a lively affair, mainly because of the two sisters' bickering back and forth across the table. Sandra's main dish was a savoury concoction of ground beef, mashed potato and various vegetables, with a thick gravy thrown into the mix. It wasn't easy for Ash and May to restrain themselves, but they managed not to tear into the meal as would have been their wont years before; they were, after all, guests in another's home.

Biff regaled everyone with various work stories, mostly humourous incidents involving him and Wartortle. A favourite of his seemed to be one from his earliest days as a Worker, which involved an accidental freezing of a coworker's Pokémon due to a combination of poor aim and incorrect move selection. Ash laughed hardest at this one, but Mary and Kathryn shook their heads in exasperation; apparently they'd heard the story so many times that the humour had worn off. As Biff took a break from his storytelling, Kathryn spoke up.

"Hey, Mom, doesn't Miss Haruka look like one of my favourite Coordinators?" May blushed hard; she should've known Kathryn wouldn't drop the subject. Sandra gave Kathryn a look of disapproval, and Mary slumped her head onto the table.

"Kathryn, you really need to stop doing that. Not everyone is a famous Coordinator, no matter how much they look like one."

"But she does!" Kathryn whined. "Remember the Azalea Contest we saw on TV? The winner looked just like Miss Haruka!"

"Kathryn, enough." Sandra turned to May. "Let me explain, Haruka. Kathryn's favourite Coordinator is May Maple, a girl from Petalburg City." May felt her heart race again; _she_ was Kathryn's favourite Coordinator, and she couldn't even tell the girl. "When May won the Azalea Town Contest, Kathryn had just become interested in Pokémon Contests, and she began to follow her progress all the way into Sinnoh. From what I've heard, though, she isn't doing much competing these days."

"That's what the paper said," Biff interjected. When everyone looked at him, he looked surprised. "What? One of the other guys was readin' it and mentioned that. I'm not the only guy on the site who reads the paper!"

"I read that too," May added, remembering how shocked she'd been to see the cover story on her rivals. "I don't blame her for staying behind, though. Unova sounds like it's pretty far."

"It is. They only started selling the Unova papers here recently, since it's so far away and a lot of people don't know where it is, even now."

"But you only read the paper for League tournaments and sport scores!" Kathryn butted in, staring at her father. "Pokémon Contests are too elegant for you, Dad!"

"Alright, that's _enough_, Kathryn. Don't make me tell you again." Across the table, Mary gave her sister a look that said _'I-told-you-so'_, and Kathryn sighed before returning to her food.

* * *

Once they'd finished dinner and a quick ice-cream dessert, May volunteered to help Sandra do the washing-up, much to Mary and Kathryn's relief. Ash went with Biff and the girls to the living room, while May began carrying dishes to the kitchen. Sandra ran the water and started cleaning the dishes, while May stood by with a rag to dry them.

This went on for a few minutes, then Sandra put down the dish she was cleaning and looked at May.

"So, Haruka, Satoshi's your boyfriend, right?"

"Yes, he is. We started dating a few months ago."

"Really? What drew you to Ecruteak City?"

"Oh, well, we just started living on our own, and this seemed like a nice, quiet place to do that." Sandra nodded, and her next question took May by surprise.

"Does he know yet?"

"Know what?" May wasn't sure what this was about, but she didn't like it.

"About your pregnancy." Now May _definitely_ didn't like where this was going.

"How did you know about that?" Her voice must have sounded harsher than she felt it, since Sandra backed off a little.

"I'm sorry, honey. Forgive me for my directness." May nodded, wondering how Sandra had been able to tell she was pregnant. "To answer your question, I can tell just by looking at you. Truthfully—and yes, I'm aware I chided Kathryn for this earlier—you look a lot like my younger sister, and she was pregnant at a young age. My parents were furious and tried to throw her out of the house, but since I was already living by myself at the time she came to me and I took care of her."

"Where is she now?"

"She lives in south Johto, near Olivine. I think her daughter's a teenager now, but I can't be sure, I haven't talked to my sister in a while." Sandra closed her eyes, remembering, then turned back to May. "Are you going to marry Satoshi once the child's born?"

"I don't know." May had never considered that before. Sure, they loved each other, enough to risk everything by fleeing, but the thought of marrying Ash had never crossed her mind. "I really don't know, Sandra."

"Can I make a suggestion, then?" May nodded. "You really should marry him, Haruka. You may not think the same, but your child is going to need a father in their life. My niece never knew her father, and it's still a sore subject to my sister that he left them. If you feel like it, ask him about it. If he asks you, jump on it. Trust me, it's the best thing to do."

"I guess so. Can I ask you a favour, though?" Sandra gave her an affirmative look, and May continued. "Please don't tell Biff or the girls about this. Nobody but you and Satoshi knows I'm pregnant, and I'd really like to keep it that way. It's not really a _secret_ secret, but I'd rather not have too many people knowing just yet."

"Of course. Your secret's safe with me. I can possibly help you, too, with the pregnancy I mean. I'm assuming your parents don't know, right?"

"Right."

"Then I can help you like I did my sister. I know a lot of stuff that will make things easier on you as things go on, and I'd gladly come around every so often to talk about it. If that's alright, of course." May considered; on one hand, she hardly knew Sandra, and the paranoia that had defined most of her interactions thus far made her feel like she should decline. On the other, she knew nothing about being a mother, and since her own wasn't there, Sandra was as good as she was going to get. Plus, Sandra wasn't exactly inexperienced in this, so it would help in the long run.

"I accept your offer, Sandra. I'll give you our address and we can go from there. Just please make sure no-one finds out."

"I will, Haruka." Sandra smiled, and the pair returned to the task at hand.

* * *

**See, I **_**told**_** you this was an important chapter! If I'm honest, I've had that scene between May and Sandra in my head for weeks, and it feels good to see it in prose form at last (although the fact that Sandra can tell May's pregnant just by sight seems a bit of a stretch in retrospect). But anyway, May now has somebody to help her through her situation, and things may be easier for her now...one hopes, anyway.**

** Alright, folks, standard operating procedure is once again in effect. Please read, REVIEW and tell me how it went! Until next time, **_**nam**__**á**__**ri**__**ë**_**!**


	14. Heartfelt Conversations

** Hi and hello! Chapter 14 has arrived in a flurry of snow (well, at least in the Northeast), and brings a few more potentially pivotal events with it. What's in store this week? Read on and find out, folks!**

** Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon; Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.**

* * *

**INCONCEIVABLE**

**CHAPTER 14-HEARTFELT CONVERSATIONS**

* * *

Sandra came around to Ash and May's apartment every so often like she'd mentioned, talking May through various strategies to make her pregnancy easier. May was grateful for Sandra's presence and assistance; ideally, she'd have wanted her mother helping her through this, but since she'd left everyone behind in Petalburg City, Sandra was the closest substitute available, and the support would be invaluable down the line.

The discussions weren't restricted to May's pregnancy, though. Although it took a lot of effort, May managed to discuss her relationship with Ash without giving away any incriminating information. These conversations often had May once again wondering whether their flight had been the right thing to do; not only that, but she was also questioning what she and Ash would do once their child was born. Would they be able to stay together? What about their families, would they be able to tell them? May was constantly reminded that they were essentially alone out here, and even though Sandra was a welcome source of help and guidance, she couldn't replace her family. It hurt her to think about it, but it still nagged at her.

A few of the meetings saw Mary and Kathryn accompany their mother to the apartment, mainly because Sandra didn't want them alone in the house. May was secretly glad the girls were there; Kathryn was enthusiastic about possibly becoming a Coordinator, so it gave her a chance to talk about her own specialty without giving herself away. Since Kathryn doubtlessly knew which Pokémon her idol carried, it was a risk, but May didn't think Kathryn would make the connection. Mary was a little more withdrawn than her sister, but May understood what it was like to be her age, and so related just as well to the older girl as the younger. Sandra was careful to send the girls out of the room when the conversation turned to May's pregnancy, and since she knew about the Pokémon the couple had in the apartment, Sandra would have the girls do what May usually did, taking the gang outside for a while until their mother called them.

* * *

It was during one of these sessions that the conversation once again turned to the state of May's relationship with Ash.

"To be honest, it's hard to gauge our feelings right now," May told Sandra, her voice low. "Satoshi is gone most of the day, and I'm just trying to get through this whole thing, so we don't usually have many discussions about it. I know he loves me, but I'm still trying to figure out whether I love him with the same intensity."

"Well, he's stuck with you this long," Sandra answered. "If I'm honest, it's kind of reassuring to see that. It upset me so much that my niece was going to grow up without her actual father, so to see that Satoshi did the right thing makes me happy. You should do your best to keep him around, though; just because you're in love right now doesn't mean that won't change later. From what you've told me, he loves you enough to stay with you and do his best to support you. Don't let that spark go out."

"I know," May sighed, looking out the window at the cloudy sky. Ash would be working hard down on the site, and from all indications the job would be done soon. Once it did end, she wondered what he would do next. She knew he'd try to find another job, but it wouldn't be as easy to keep his identity safe. The suggestion that he'd do something rash constantly sat in the back of her mind, but she did her best to quell the panic that always accompanied this thought.

"So, have you done any preliminary shopping for when the baby arrives?" Sandra could tell that her constant discussion of May's relationship was starting to make the young woman uncomfortable, so she though it best to change the subject. "It's never too early to start."

"Honestly, we haven't. We don't even know whether to expect a boy or a girl, and the only baby shopping I can remember was when my cousin was born, so neither of us would know where to start."

"Which would you prefer?" Sandra asked. When May looked confused, she clarified. "Would you want a boy or a girl?"

"I don't know. A girl, I guess. I haven't really thought about it. I figure Satoshi would probably want a boy, but he's never mentioned it."

"I think it should be a girl." A high-pitched voice caused May and Sandra to turn towards the apartment door. There stood Kathryn, an interested look on her face.

"Kathryn, how long have you been standing there?" Sandra stared at her younger daughter with disapproval; she didn't want Kathryn hearing most of what was being said.

"I just came in, Mary forgot her book and sent me up to get it for her. Forget that, though. Since when..."

"_Kathryn_..." Sandra said in her warning tone. "This is none of your business, so please go back and help your sister."

"But Mom, why didn't you tell us Miss Haruka was having a baby?"

"How did you...?"

"I came in just as you guys started talking about whether Miss Haruka wanted a boy or a girl. I'm not _that_ dumb, Mom." May sighed; yet again, someone had found out before she was ready. She hadn't planned on telling Mary and Kathryn yet; she could trust Sandra to keep her secret, but if Kathryn told the wrong person at this stage they could be in big trouble.

"Alright, here's the deal," she said, looking intently at the girl. "Yes, it's true, I'm going to have a baby. But I need you to do me a big favour, okay?" Kathryn nodded, and May continued. "I need you to keep this to yourself. Your mom is doing the same thing, and she promised not to tell anyone. I need you to do the same; don't tell _anyone_, not even your dad. Can you do that?"

"Yeah!" Kathryn gave May a thumbs-up, indicating that she would do as May asked. "I can keep a secret, no problem! I'll never tell anyone, not even if..."  
"Okay, we get it, Kathryn. Haruka knows you won't tell." Sandra didn't like the idea of her daughter knowing about this, but if Haruka trusted her, that made all the difference. "Okay, Kathryn, please go get your sister and tell her we need to go. I've got to get dinner on for when your father gets home."

"Aw, can't we stay a bit longer? I want to play with Miss Haruka's Glaceon a little more..."

"I'm sorry, Kathryn, but we really need to go. Please go get your sister now." Kathryn huffed a little, but ran out the door to do as her mother asked. Sandra watched her leave, then turned to May. "I'm so sorry about Kathryn, Haruka. I know you wanted to keep this a secret..."

"It's okay, Sandra. To be honest, I was going to have you tell them later on anyway. I remember how curious I always was when I was their age, so I understand why Kathryn's doing what she's doing."

"Well, as long as you're okay with it." At that moment, the girls reappeared, with Mary carrying the Pokéballs while Pikachu and Glaceon followed Kathryn. After some quick good-byes, Sandra and the girls headed out while May sat down to ponder what had just happened.

* * *

Later that evening, Ash came home and took a quick shower before throwing dinner together. The meal itself was spent mostly in silence, and May considered what she was about to tell him.

"Ash?" she said as they started to clear the dishes from the table.

"Hm?" Ash paused in his work to turn and look at her. "What's up, May?"

"Well..." May stopped mid-sentence, wondering if what she was going to do was wise. "Ash, there's something I want to do, but I wanted to tell you first."

"What is it?"

"I...I want to send a note to my mom." Ash stared at her, not understanding what he was hearing.

"Say again?"

"I want to send a note to my mom. Talking to Sandra has gotten me thinking hard about this whole thing, what with us running off and all. I hate that my mom doesn't know where I am, and that she's going to become a grandmother without even knowing it."

"May, I see what you're saying, but why? Wasn't the point of running to _prevent_ anyone finding out?"

"I know what the point was. But I've been thinking, and I'm really torn up about it. Ash," she continued, seeing his hesitancy, "I promise, no-one but her will find out. I'll make sure of it."

"But May..." Ash considered; he didn't like the idea of anyone else finding out about this. At the same time, he understood where May was coming from. "Are you _positive_ no-one else will know?"

"I trust my mom, she'll keep it to herself if I ask her to. Please, Ash? You asked me to trust you when we started this whole thing; now I'm asking you to trust _me_." She looked at him with a fervent gaze, and he sighed as he conceded the point.

"Okay. I see what you're going through, and I understand. As long as only your mom knows, we'll still be okay. Go ahead and write out the note, and I'll send Pidgeot to Hoenn with it when you're ready."

"Thanks, Ash. I really appreciate it." May hugged Ash and kissed his cheek, then moved off to write her note.

Fifteen minutes later, May tied the note to Pidgeot's leg, and Ash gave his Flying-type strict orders to ensure Caroline was alone before approaching. Pidgeot nodded and took off, relying on his species' natural sense of direction to find his way to Hoenn. May watched him disappear over the horizon, then turned back to Ash.

"Are you sure he can do it? I know Pidgeot's a strong flyer, but Petalburg's a long way from here."

"He'll be fine. It may take a few days, but Hoenn is actually closer to Johto than you think. As long as he remembers to make sure your mom's by herself when he delivers the note, it'll be okay."

"I know. Thanks for letting me do this, Ash. It's been bothering me for a while now."

"You miss your family, it's natural. Not a day goes by that I don't miss my mom. Someday we'll let everyone know, just not today." Ash drew May into another hug, hoping the gesture would reassure her. May just let him, her own thoughts twisting through her head. How long could they keep this up?

* * *

Days later in Petalburg, Caroline Maple was surprised to see a Pidgeot come swooping down from the air, landing right in front of her. The surprise was mostly from seeing the bird itself; there were very few Pidgeot in the region, and most of them belonged to out-of-region trainers. Pidgeot eyed her curiously, then extended his leg towards her.

"Um, what's all this about?" Caroline saw the note tied to Pidgeot's leg, and she untied it carefully before stepping back, allowing Pidgeot to take off again. Once she saw the bird disappear, she opened the note and read it quickly, her eyes widening as she did so. Tears came as she re-read the note, and Caroline looked into the sky as she realized what was going on.

"May," she whispered, closing her hand around the note. "Please be okay."

* * *

**Oh dear, that was unexpected, huh? Yeah, I'll admit it, this whole exchange was part of the plan all along, but whether it will come to anything remains to be seen. The network is starting to form whether Ash or May want it to or not, and they've almost certainly turned a corner. One wonders how long they can keep this going, though.**

** Alright, enough out of me. Standard operating procedure remains in effect, so please read, REVIEW and tell me how it went! Also, check out my other story, _Double-J Adventures_, which has also reached Ecruteak (although there will be no crossover between them). Until next time, _namárië_!**


	15. Tougher Than It Sounds

** Hi and hello! Welcome, one and all, to my first winter break update, right on schedule and ready for perusal. What thrills and troubles are in store for our favourite couple this week? Keep reading to find out!**

** Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon; Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.**

* * *

**INCONCEIVABLE**

**CHAPTER 15-TOUGHER THAN IT SOUNDS**

* * *

In mid-August, the repairs on the Bell Tower suffered a setback.

The section that had originally been scheduled for renovation was nearly done, but another section, higher up the tower, had begun to show signs of fatigue. No-one could explain it; it could just have been age, or some wayward Pokémon could have caused the damage. All anyone on the site knew was that they'd be working a whole lot longer than they'd anticipated.

The news was met with mixed reactions. Ash didn't really mind; he'd be working longer, but it meant he was still employed and still able to support May without digging too deeply into their accumulated savings. Biff and Sully had nothing to say either; the former had resigned himself to the fact that these things happened, while the latter kept his usual stoicism intact, not exhibiting any signs that might indicate his opinion on the matter. Among some of the workers, though, there was grumbling, and wild theories as to how the damage could have occurred made their way around the site.

"Don't pay any attention to those guys," Biff told Ash when the younger man mentioned the discomfort among the other workers. "Some of 'em will find anything to gripe about, so it's best if ya just ignore 'em. Just concentrate on your own work and you'll be fine."

The new assignment meant that Ash and Buizel were back at work cutting up beams to reinforce the new section. They were experts at this by now, with Buizel's Water Gun cutting perfect edges on the beams, which Heracross took to the higher area in the tower to be fitted. Keeping Biff's suggestions in mind, Ash simply went about his work with no visible emotion or enthusiasm; the older worker had warned him that such behaviour could mark him as a target for the malcontents. So they just worked through the hours, barely pausing except for lunch or to get a quick breath.

As the days went by, Ash continued reading the newspapers Biff brought to work, looking for signs of May's rivals in the Contest section. Even he knew she must be missing the Contest circuit terribly, so he thought that keeping her up to date would make her happy. He saw stuff that interested him as well; the Unova League may not be until early April, but reports from the Gyms pointed out that Iris and Cilan were maintaining a strong record against their challengers; Iris had been appointed as a stand-in Gym Leader in Opelucid City, and on the occasions she did battle she often came out victorious. Sometimes, he'd see one of his own rivals' names there; Cameron, despite his scatterbrained nature, had won a few side competitions, and Stephan's name was usually right next to the forgetful trainer's, showing that he hadn't lost his edge either.

Ash often wondered what the rest of his friends were up to these days. He knew that Brock was training to become a Pokémon Doctor, and Misty ran the Cerulean Gym in her sisters' stead, since it had long been established that Daisy, Lily and Violet preferred performing to being Gym Leaders. He thought about the friends he'd made in other regions too. Had Paul accomplished his long-stated goal to beat Brandon yet? Where was Harrison these days? Tyson? What about Barry, or even Morrison? He hadn't contacted anyone in so long, even though he knew his and May's isolation was voluntary and necessary. He drove the images of his friends and rivals from his mind; he had a job to do, and it wasn't going to get done if he kept this line of thinking up.

* * *

A week after the new assignment came in, Ash started out to door to work to find Biff standing there waiting for him.

"Hey, Biff, what're you doing here? I thought you'd be at work by now."

"Normally I would be, but I'm not gonna be goin' down there today."

"Why not? Are you hurt or something? What's wrong?"

"No, I'm fine." Biff sighed, then broke his news. "I'm not gonna sugar-coat it, Narazaki. They've gone on strike down at the site. The guys down there are looking for a pay rise because of the new repairs they've gotta do, and the city doesn't want to give it to them. Because of that, we're not gonna be working until they've hashed this out."

"Wait, they stopped the project?" Ash didn't know much about this sort of thing, but it sounded serious. "I know they weren't happy about the extra work, but why would they stop altogether."

"It's complicated, Narazaki. One one hand, the workers want to get paid more for the unexpected extra assignment, but on the other, the city considers it to be part of the original project. That said, I'm not getting involved, and neither should you; you've got a girl to take care of, so focus on her for the time being. I'll keep you posted on when and if we're goin' back to work, but don't expect that to be anytime soon. This could take a while to settle."

"Okay," Ash said, realizing what this meant. No work meant that there would be no income, so they had to take stock of what they had saved and decide how best to use it. May would welcome him being home, but he'd rather be working and supporting her than sitting in the apartment; that was, of course, why he'd insisted on finding work in the first place. "Keep us posted, and we'll keep a distant eye on things as well. Since we're not going down to the site, you want to stick around for breakfast?"

"I wish I could, kid, but I've got stuff I gotta take care of at home. Sandra said she's coming around later with the girls, so maybe I'll come over then."

"Is she?" Ash knew May and Sandra had talked during their meeting at Biff's home, but she never mentioned anything about the older woman visiting the apartment otherwise.

"Oh, yeah, she's taken a liking to your girl in there. The daughters apparently like coming too; I think you remember Kathryn's love for Contests, and she says that your girl knows all about them."

"Really."

"Yeah. Anyway, I gotta go, there's work at home to be done. See ya, Narazaki."

"Alright, Biff. Take care." Ash watched his coworker leave, then closed the apartment door and shed his vest and jacket. May came into the room as he did so, and she gave him a confused look as he turned to face her.

"Ash, what're you still doing here? I thought you were going to work."

"I was, but something came up. The guys down on the site are 'on strike', so Biff told me not to go down there, or get involved. I don't like it, but that's the way things go."

"It doesn't matter. We've got enough to live on for now."

"I know, but it still bothers me. The reason I got the job was to support you, and now that it's on hold, I feel like I'm not keeping up my end of things."

"Ash, it's fine. These things happen. We'll get through."

"I hope so." Ash walked over to the armchair and slumped down into it, realizing just how tired he was. Unlike May, he wasn't much of a morning person, so the feeling was awful. May sat down on the couch and smiled, hoping to cheer him up. They could both use it now, she thought. Things were getting tough again.

* * *

Around mid-day, Sandra and her daughters arrived at the apartment like Biff had mentioned. Biff himself wasn't there; according to Sandra, he'd taken on household responsibilities for the day, including preparing dinner. May looked stunned, but Sandra laughed and reassured her that Biff was a competent chef and wouldn't blow up the house while she was gone. Ash slumped down in his seat at this; he empathized with Biff to a point, having taken on culinary responsibility in the apartment. He knew he wasn't terrible, but his skills weren't anything like Brock's or Sandra's.

"Satoshi, I think I owe you an explanation of why I'm here." Ash shook himself out of his self-inflicted torment to look at her with confused interest.

"Yeah, I was actually wondering that. What _are_ you doing here?"

"Well, Haruka and I had a little chat when you guys came over for dinner that one time."

"Okay. That still doesn't..."

"She knows I'm pregnant, Satoshi." May decided to get to the point before Ash confused himself even more. "So do Mary and Kathryn. Sandra is, and has beeen, helping me through the process, and the girls are along for the ride."

"We're always happy to help, Miss Haruka!" Kathryn, as usual, was eager to put herself forward, while Mary simply nodded her head and returned to her book. Sandra gave Kathryn her usual look of disapproval before turning back to Ash.

"I've been coming up here for some time now, while you and my husband are at work. Haruka explained how you two didn't want too many people knowing about it, and I promised her I'd keep it to myself. I hope that's alright, Satoshi."

"It's...fine. I know Haruka definitely appreciates the help, since we're kinda new to this whole thing. The only parenting I've seen done outside of my own mother was a friend of ours taking care of baby Pokémon, and that's nowhere near comparable to raising a child."

"You'll get through, don't worry. Biff and I certainly had a challenge when we had Mary." Sandra turned to her daughters, anticipating that the conversation was turning to something she didn't want them involved in. "Mary, Kathryn, could you take the Pokémon for a run-out? I'd like to talk to Satoshi and Haruka alone."

"I'll go with them, Sandra." May got up and motioned for Pikachu and Glaceon, who were lying together in a corner, to follow her. "I haven't been out with these guys for a while, anyway."

"Are you sure?" Ash wasn't sure about it, but May just smiled at him.

"I'll be fine. It's only for an hour or so." Ash just nodded, not wanting to argue, and May walked out with Mary and Kathryn in tow. As they left, Ash heard Sandra say something inaudible, and he turned to the older woman, confused.

"What was that?" he asked her, and she looked at him with a half-smile.

"You really love her, don't you?"

"I do. Most, if not all, of what I've been doing is for her benefit. That's why the work stoppage is bothering me so much. We've got enough to be going on with, but I want to support her as best I can."

"I'm sure she appreciates it. And I'm sure she appreciates you staying with her through this."

"What do you mean?"

"Many young men your age don't stay with the mother of their child. The fact that you care enough to stay with her says a lot about you, Satoshi."

"I...yeah," Ash blushed at the older woman's words. "I really do love her, Sandra. I'd sooner give up training Pokémon than leave her at this point."

"And that makes all the difference." Ash nodded at this, knowing his words, and hers, were true.

* * *

Down in the small courtyard, May sat on a bench next to Mary while Kathryn ran about, playing with the smaller Pokémon in the couple's team. She didn't even seem to care that Muk smothered her every time she let him out of his Pokéball, which surprised May a little. Mary was content simply to sit and observe, reminding May of her sibling dynamic with Max; her brother was the hands-on type, always trying to get up-close and personal, while May preferred to keep her distance at first.

After a few minutes, Kathryn ran over for a rest, breathless from her exertions. May smiled; the younger girl really loved hanging around the Pokémon, and the Pokémon looked like they were having a good time with her. Well, except for Buizel and Heracross, but they didn't know Kathryn very well yet.

"So, Miss Haruka," Kathryn said, after getting her breath back, "my mom says you and Satoshi are really in love with one another. Is that true?"

"What?" May was taken aback; Sandra may have been forward, but not like this.

"Kathryn!" Mary scolded. "You mustn't ask questions like that. Miss Haruka..."

"Might not want to talk about it, I know, Mom told me the same thing. But I think it's so sweet! I can only hope my future boyfriend is like him!"

"Well, listen to you," May giggled, forgetting her troubles for a moment. "You're already thinking about that, and you're how old?"

"I'll be ten in February, then I can get my first Pokémon and become a Coordinator! There's probably hundreds of cute boys out there, maybe as good-looking as Drew Stanton!"

"Who?" May feigned ignorance, hoping the conversation would turn so she wouldn't have to discuss her rival."

"You don't know who Drew Stanton is? He's the second-best Coordinator on the circuit, only May's better than he is!"

"Is she?"

"Yeah! May's the best, but Drew isn't too far behind!"

"Wow, you really know your Coordinators, don't you?" May felt a pang as she remembered her travels on the Contest circuit, including Drew's advances. It had been quite a task to reject him at one point, but once she'd reunited with Ash the green-haired Coordinator had already moved on.

"Of course I do! If I'm gonna be as good as them, I have to be up to date on who's who on the circuit, right?"

"I guess so."

"Have you ever battled one of them, Miss Haruka? You said you were a Coordinator once."

"I...never have. I guess I was never involved in a Contest where they were participating."

"That's too bad. You even have some of the same Pokémon May has, and they're really strong."

"We're Pidgey of a feather, I guess." They sat in silence for a few minutes after this, watching the gang run and mock-battle. Soon after, Kathryn spoke again.

"Are you gonna marry Satoshi, Miss Haruka?" May blushed; Kathryn's ability to shift gears in mid-conversation was impressive.

"Um, I don't know? I haven't really thought about it."

"But my mom said..."

"Kathryn," Mary warned her sister. "I think Miss Haruka has already talked to Mom about this. You're asking her a lot of personal questions, and Mom said it's not for us to know."

"But I really want to know! I..."

"Alright, stop arguing, you two." May got up from the bench and started calling the Pokémon over. "I think we should head back up, your mom's probably ready to go home by now." Mary closed her book and started recalling some of the group, but Kathryn crossed her arms and huffed in defiance.

"All I wanted to know was if Miss Haruka and Satoshi were gonna get married. _I_ think they're really cute together." Mary shook her head, and May blushed again as she gathered the team together. Kathryn had started the great debate in her head again, and it was really starting to bug her.

* * *

**O-kay, we're done! Chapter 14 is in the books, and May is once again being asked the big questions; kinda heavy stuff for a fanfic, I know, but what the hey, right? Ash is outta work right now, which isn't good, and hopefully things won't hit a nadir anytime soon.**

** Alright, standard operating procedure is in effect. Please read, REVIEW and tell me how it went! Until next time, **_**nam**__**á**__**ri**__**ë**_**!**


	16. Down Time

** Hi and hello! Chapter 16 of _Inconceivable_ is here, ready and willing to spread post-holiday fun (depending on your definition of _fun_, that is). I'll warn you guys right now, this chapter is going to include a few of my infamous time skips, since I'm getting the perception that the last few chapters have been a bit repetitive, so we'll be jumping forward a couple of in-story months this week. With that in mind, curtain up, sit back, and be entertained!**

** Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon; Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.**

* * *

**INCONCEIVABLE**

**CHAPTER 16-DOWN TIME**

* * *

The strike at the building site had lasted for nearly two weeks. As Biff had instructed, Ash stayed away from the site and the Bell Tower annex while the stoppage was in effect, instead focusing on his time with May. Biff usually sent word of the proceedings at the site through Sandra and the girls, who passed the news on to Ash when they visited. The news barely changed; the only changes involved the state of the negotiations between the city and the project supervisors. Ash was becoming more depressed about the lack of activity, but May reassured him that they would get through.

With this turn of events in mind, May had decided that the best use of their days during the stoppage was to go do some shopping for their new arrival, something Sandra had brought up a few times during their meetings.

"I mean, you've got time on your hands, even if it isn't what you had planned," May reasoned when she pitched the idea to Ash one evening after dinner. "Plus, I think this is one of those things we're supposed to do together, as a couple. If I picked out absolutely everything, something would crop up that didn't appeal to you, and vice-versa. We'll take it easy and keep it to a few essentials, but we're gonna need the stuff eventually, so we might as well do it now before you go back to work."

Ash had relented, knowing May was right. This _was_ a team decision, one that required both of their input. He would have been perfectly happy to let May pick out clothes and accessories, since he assumed that was something she would be right at home doing; after all, fashion was one area he'd long been incompetent in, despite traveling with May and then Dawn for such a long time. But at the same time, May sounded like she _wanted_ him involved, and he couldn't help but feel a bit happy about it.

* * *

After this exchange, May spent a few days looking through catalogues to determine what was available and marking down those things she liked, a task Ash was more than happy to leave to her. He wasn't the best at shopping even for himself, and since his mother usually made large parts of his traveling outfits from scratch he'd never had a reason to do so anyway. He contented himself with taking on May's usual job of bringing the Pokémon out, often accompanied by one of the girls when they came to visit, usually Mary. Mary didn't usually talk much, content to read and observe. Ash was just glad her sister was making a nuisance of herself in the apartment; May had told him about the younger girl's interrogations, and he didn't want any part of _that_.

Kathryn spent a lot of time trying to be helpful and indicate what she thought would be best, but was often turned down by her mother. The younger girl was enthusiastic nonetheless; it never occurred to her that she might be anything less than helpful. May welcomed the girl's input to a point; she might have been young, but she was sincerely trying to help, and often pointed out things May and Sandra missed.

Discussion of May's relationship with Ash usually fell by the wayside during these sessions, with the focus landing firmly on stuff for the newborn. May was grateful for this; she'd grown a bit weary of Kathryn's constant questioning, even though Sandra had put her through the same thing with less intensity. But there was something about Kathryn's questions that sent May's thoughts spinning out of control. Maybe it was the fact that Kathryn was younger, and therefore less aware of how deep her line of questioning went. Or perhaps May just didn't expect such heavy stuff from a nine-year-old. Either way, the girl had a way of making May think much harder about things than she was accustomed, and she wasn't sure if she was comfortable with it.

* * *

Late September came with a drop in temperature and no letup in the work stoppage, although Biff's reports were becoming more encouraging. May, whose pregnancy was now more obvious than when they'd started, stuck to her plan of shopping around for basic accessories, and Ash went with her, knowing that in her condition she probably shouldn't be doing this alone.

Sandra had recommended a few shops to look at, and May led Ash through several, seeking out various items for a newborn. Despite May's wish that he get involved, Ash was content to let her do most of the browsing, occasionally pointing out items that he thought looked alright. Since they didn't know whether to expect a boy or a girl yet, they tried to find the most neutral items available, sticking to the basics as much as they could.

"Hey, May, what do you think of this one?" Ash asked May in the third shop they visited, showing her a sleeper with a Pikachu on the front. May smiled, reminded of when she'd first met Ash's Pikachu properly. She'd always had a bond with the mouse, usually holding him if Ash left him out of a battle, so that bond could be formed with their child in a roundabout kind of way.

"It's adorable." May wasn't particularly used to this, but she was always in her element when it came to shopping. She found another with a Glaceon print, and showed it to Ash. "How's this one? This way, both our signature Pokémon will be represented."

"That's an interesting idea." May dropped the sleepwear into a shopping basket, which wasn't particularly heavy due to the paucity of their selection. The other items the couple picked out were fairly routine, including a blanket with a Pokéball pattern. A saleswoman looked at them with interest as they checked out, noting the simplicity of their purchases.

"Is this your first time doing this, guys?" she asked as she rang them up. May nodded, and Ash flushed and lowered his eyes, still reminded of why they were here in the first place.

"This is our first child, yes."

"Well, congratulations to you both." Ash paid for their items, and the couple thanked the saleswoman before heading back outside. They stood for a few moments before May spoke up.

"We're gonna need to do a bit more advanced shopping later on. Not today, you understand, but eventually, closer to when the baby's due."

"What do you mean? I thought we were just buying the basics, why would we need to do any more...?"

"I'm talking about a bassinet, Ash."

"A what?"

"For our new arrival to sleep in. The baby can't sleep in our bed, after all."

"Ah." Ash blushed again, embarrassed at his incompetence. "But wouldn't it be easier to do it now? You know, while you're still...mobile?"

"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that last part, but think about that for a second. What're we going to do with a bassinet for..." She thought for a moment, trying to remember how far along she was. "For just over three months? I'll admit I'm excited for the baby to arrive, but I don't need the visual reminder for that long."

"How does a bassinet count as a..." May glared at Ash, urging him to drop the subject. "Okay, okay, I get it, not today. We'll put the stuff we've got away, and worry about the rest another time. Just let me know when I've gotta go pick one up, will ya? I definitely won't remember that in a month or two."

"Sure, Ash."

"Just out of curiosity, when _is_ the baby due? Aren't you supposed to go to some kind of doctor to find that out?"

"I should be due in January, if my math is right. I don't know, though, maybe I _should_ go to a doctor and see. Maybe Sandra can help me out there."

"Do that. She seems to know what she's doing, so I say go for it."

"Thanks, Ash." The young man placed his arm around her as they turned to head back to the apartment, and May relaxed herself as she let him guide her down the street. Inside, though, she couldn't help but be a bit unnerved. The prospect of the baby's arrival had been an afterthought for so long, and now it felt like their preparations were in overdrive. She wondered if there was anything between the extremes, but her heart wasn't particularly optimistic that there was.

* * *

The start of October brought the news that the strike had broken, with both sides of the dispute finally coming to an agreement. The city's reps had opted to give the workers a decent-sized pay increase, conceding that the extra repairs had been unforeseen and that they had been short-sighted in considering them to be under the original contract, but stressed the importance of getting the work done quickly, since the old building genuinely and urgently needed the repairs. According to Biff, the city had stopped short of threatening to hire another contractor—an increasingly common, but risky, tactic among employers, as he explained later—but the reps from both sides managed to hash out the agreement before that option became necessary.

Ash was thrilled; he had truly enjoyed the extra time with May, but he felt like he was going back where he belonged. May had more mixed feelings; on one hand, Ash was back to work, and the extra pay would help in the long run, but at the same time she couldn't help but feel like he was being taken from her. She wanted to talk to him, one on one, girlfriend to boyfriend, but somehow they'd never gotten around to discussing their relationship seriously, just the two of them as opposed to with Sandra or the girls. She wanted to believe that what she'd constantly told the others was true: she was as in love with Ash as he was with her, ready to see this entire ordeal through. That would be easier said than done, since Ash loved her about as much as was possible. But the longer time went on, and the more she thought, she wondered if what she believed to be true _was_ true, or if her heart was just playing tricks on her.

Once back at work, Ash did his best to make up for lost time, and Buizel worked harder than he ever had before cutting up the beams for the upper floor. Heracross' ability to fly came in useful here, since he could carry the finished product up the tower to the workers responsible for putting them into place. May had once again offered to send Blaziken out on loan, and only after Biff reminded Ash of the project's newfound urgency did the young man accept the offer. The two Fighting-types got to know each other as they worked together, since they had only met briefly during the couple's flight and settling period.

Biff spent their lunch breaks telling more of his tall tales to anyone who'd listen; he'd been in good spirits since the resumption of the project, and Ash couldn't help but see some of his own relief in the older man's behaviour. Biff didn't like the idea of not working, but for a different reason to Ash; where Ash was concerned about supporting May, Biff was accustomed to constantly being on the job, no matter how repetitive it got. Ash knew he had been like that on his journeys around the world: he'd wanted to fill every waking moment with training, and a layoff often made him restless and depressed. He didn't doubt that if he'd gone on to the professional level like he'd hoped to someday, it would have been worse. But he'd come to appreciate the down time, and resolved to make the most of it when it came from now on.

This went on for another week, and the building project was looking good; everyone had worked hard to make up for the time lost during the strike, and the old building was beginning to take back its former shape again. As things began to wrap up on his end, Ash found he was needed less as the final touches were started, but he always stood ready in case something came up. Biff and Sully did the same, even though their working hours became empty and monotonous.

One evening toward the end of October, Ash came home and went through his usual routine, taking a quick shower before starting on dinner. May was often lying on the couch whenever he came home, which didn't surprise him in the least; her pregnancy would doubtlessly be taking a lot out of her. She almost always woke up when it was time to eat anyway, so it wasn't like anything was wrong.

They ate in silence that evening, which was actually rather unusual for them; Ash usually mentioned what had gone on at the site that day, while May relayed information Sandra had given her regarding her pregnancy or parenting in general. This time, May was pondering what she was going to say to him once they'd finished, but she wasn't sure how to say it. Her unease about their relationship had surfaced again, and she had to get it out soon.

Ash cleared the table once they finished, and May headed for the couch to wait for him. Once he had the dishes finished—a quick chore, since there were only two or three, and Brock had taught him how to do it properly but fast—he headed over to the armchair to find May sitting up on the couch, looking at him intently.

"What's up, May?" Ash knew that whenever someone looked at him like that, it was important, and he'd better listen up.

"Ash," May said to him, her voice quiet. "We need to talk about something."

* * *

**Oh, dear! What could May want to talk about (I know, it's half-obvious, but run with it!)? Is it important? Yes. Could the stress be getting to her? Maybe. You'll just have to wait and see.**

** I tried to make this chapter a bit light-hearted, to show that their life isn't just meetings with neighbours and heading out to work for hours on end. I'm actually awful at shopping in general, and worse at the kind Ash and May were doing, so that's my excuse for how those scenes turned out. I'll also apologize again for the time skips, but this story has to turn the corner sometime, right? There's only so much one can force out of a nine-month period, after all.**

** Alright, on that sombre note, standard operating procedure remains in effect. Please read, REVIEW and tell me how it went! Until next time, **_**nam**__**á**__**ri**__**ë**_**!**


	17. Second Thoughts

** Hi and hello! Welcome to my last post of 2013, Chapter 17 of _Inconceivable_! This week, we'll witness a somewhat-important exchange between Ash and May, and see how many doors it opens in the process. Curtain up, sit back, be entertained!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon; Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.**

* * *

**INCONCEIVABLE**

**CHAPTER 17-SECOND THOUGHTS**

* * *

Ash knew from May's tone of voice that something wasn't quite right. She was tense and shaking, and her face was pale. He had a sinking feeling that the coming exchange was going to be uncomfortable, but he resolved to get through it as best he could.

"Uh, are you okay, May? You look terrible." May nodded, even though she knew he was right.

"I'm fine, Ash, just a little on edge. I'll be okay."

"Alright," Ash hated seeing her like this, it wasn't the May he knew. "So what do you want to talk about?" he asked, moving the armchair so he could sit across from her.

"A few things, actually." May answered, looking down. "First off, I'm gonna go see a doctor in the next few days. I talked to Sandra, and she's going to go with me. She was surprised I hadn't done it sooner."

"That's...good." She hadn't mentioned going to a doctor since their little shopping excursion, but it had sounded important at the time. "I'm probably useless in that regard, so it's good to have somebody who knows what they're doing go with you. Anything else?"

"Well, the next two things are sort of connected."

"How so?" May took a deep breath, then started again.

"The first part is that I'm starting to wonder if we did the right thing by running."

"Didn't we?"

"That's just it, I don't know. I was so scared when I first found out I was pregnant, I was willing to do almost anything. But living out here now for nearly six months, on top of talking to Sandra, I've had a lot of things to think about."

"Are you saying we didn't do the right thing?"

"I don't know!" May's voice rose a bit, and Ash backed down. May paused to calm down a little, then continued. "The primary catalyst for us running was fear that our families would find out, my dad in particular. You know how he is about this sort of thing, and I was really afraid of how he was going to react. But now..." Ash decided he was going to bring the subject off her father, since she was getting so stressed out.

"Doesn't your mom know? You said that was important to you as well. At least she's probably not as worried about you anymore."

"Yes, that's true, but she...she won't even get to see her first grandchild for a while if we stay out here. That's going to weigh on her mind; it's sure making me a bit depressed."

"So what are you suggesting? That we go back?"

"No, that's not what I meant. I'm just saying that I'm starting to have second thoughts about things. I know it's a bit late, but it is bothering me quite a bit." Ash wasn't sure what to say to this. He'd never doubted that running had been the best course of action; he knew that Norman wouldn't be very happy when he found out about them, and he had acted to try and spare May from her father's displeasure. But now, hearing May voice her concerns, he felt the seed of doubt take root in his mind as well.

"Okay, I see what you mean."

"And the connection is that...with that doubt, I'm starting to have doubts about our relationship."

"What?"

"Just the depth of it, is all. I know...that you love me, enough to stay with me and do all that you've done for us. I'm just starting to wonder...is my love for you...the same?"

"How do you mean?" Ash was now stunned; had this been brewing the whole time?

"What I mean is that we ran because we were scared, and we hadn't been a couple for long when this whole thing started. From everything you've said and done, you've loved me for a longer time than I was aware. All that time spent apart...and one night changed everything for us."

"Yeah, it did."

"But now that I've had time to think about it, I'm beginning to question just about everything. I know you love me more than anything, but I just don't know if I feel the same intensity anymore." Seeing Ash's downcast expression, she hurriedly tried to reassure him. "Don't get the wrong idea, I'm not suggesting we shouldn't stay together. I'm just unsure about all this."

"I understand what you're saying. It hasn't been easy for you, has it?"

"No, it hasn't. Having a baby on the way is hard enough, but add the stress of running away and you can see how difficult it's become."

"Yeah." Ash sighed, wondering how long May had been keeping this under wraps. All this time, he'd been going about things as if he and May had something perfect going. To hear the doubt, pain and fear in her words made him wonder why she hadn't told him before. He'd never really been one for this kind of emotional conversation, but he empathized heavily with her.

"Ash?" May said, her voice still low.

"Hm?" Ash shifted in his chair, his eyes never leaving the young woman across from him.

"I'm sorry I dumped all this on you at once, since it must be a lot to take. I probably should have said something earlier, during the time you had off. But I was so happy we were together, I never..."

"May, it's alright. Everything's going to be alright. Honestly, I didn't give much thought to the fact that we ran, since I thought we'd done the right thing from the start. I never even considered that you might have doubts about this."

"You've been busy, I understand that. You've been working so hard to make sure we can support the baby, and everything you've done you've done out of love. I'm not saying we should go back or separate, but the thought _has_ come up a few times."

"I don't blame you. And I appreciate you telling me this, May. I'm not great at this sort of thing, which is why I'm grateful to Sandra and her daughters for being there for you. But it's important that we don't drop out of contact with each other, and you did the right thing here. Let me know if you want to talk about anything else; I'll even take off work..."

"Don't do that," May said, frowning. "You can't afford to take off now. Maybe when the building project's over, we'll think of something. But don't even think about taking off work, however tempted you are to do it."

"Okay, no skiving off work." Ash looked at the time, then to the corner where Pikachu and Glaceon were sleeping side-by-side. "It's nearly seven, what should we do now?"

"I'm actually going to go to bed," May answered, pushing herself up so she could get off the couch. "This little passenger of mine is taking a lot out of me."

"Alright. I'll probably sleep out here tonight, though."

"Why?"

"You'll have the bed to yourself that way."

"What are you implying?" May asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing!" Ash held his hands up, realizing his error. "I just thought..." May laughed at this, knowing she'd just frightened him to death.

"Ash, it's fine. I do appreciate it, even though it's not exactly necessary. Just make sure you get up tomorrow, that couch would make anyone fall asleep and stay there." May stood up and started toward the bedroom, and Ash jumped up and moved beside her. "What are you...?" Ash said nothing, just wrapped his arms around her. May smiled and turned so he could properly embrace her, resting her head on his shoulder. They stayed that way for a few moments before May jerked back, holding her stomach.

"May, are you alright?" May nodded,

"I'm fine, I just got kicked, is all."

"Does the baby do that often?"

"All the time. Usually it's not too bad, but it's painful enough sometimes."

"At least they're active in there. I'd hate it if..."

"Don't even _think_ about finishing that sentence." Ash stopped mid-word, and nodded with a grin on his face.

"Fair enough." May smiled and turned to go get some rest, while Ash sat down to ponder what they'd just discussed.

* * *

May's words rang in Ash's mind the entire next day at work, even though he tried to concentrate on the task at hand. To their credit, Buizel and Heracross dutifully continued their work with calm efficiency, determined to do the best job they could; no wonder, Ash thought, since he hadn't confided his thoughts in the hardworking pair. But Ash, try as he might, couldn't shake the uncertainty and doubt that had crept into his psyche. The prospect of their flight being misguided had never occurred to him before, and now that May had planted that particular idea in his head he couldn't get it out no matter how hard he tried.

They'd come so far since they first found out May was pregnant. He had reacted to her fear in what, at the time, he'd thought was a logical manner, deciding to escape the source of that fear by running. Now that fear had transferred to other aspects of her life, namely their relationship and the uncertainty surrounding their running. It was something he'd never thought possible, and it bothered him to see her like that.

It seemed like forever since they'd started the run, but in reality, it hadn't been _that_ long since they'd made that fateful decision. _No_, he thought as he walked back to the apartment that evening, I _made the decision, May just sort of went with it_. Was it true, though? Had they acted too hastily, not stopping to think of the consequences?

_Of course not_, the other side of his mind put in. _You had nothing _but_ time to think about it._ But the time to think about it had passed, and been spent getting out of Kanto and finding a way to hide out.

'_True, but you could have come clean any time you wanted,'_ his mind argued back. '_It would've been so easy to just call someone up and admit your mistakes. You could deal with the consequences once you got home and explained yourself.'_

_ 'Norman would kill us, or at least me...wouldn't he? May even said it, he wouldn't be too accomodating about this whole thing.'_

'_You don't know that. Maybe he'd be willing to relax his standards for a good friend. After all, you took it upon yourself to mentor his daughter, who wasn't too enthusiastic about the concept of Pok__é__mon training in the first place...'_

"Argh!" Ash groaned as he reached the door to the apartment. "Alright, that's it, forget the psychobabble, I need to stop thinking about this for a while! If May brings it up, fine, but no more of this by myself. I'm gonna go crazy if this keeps going." With that, he shook his head to clear it before entering the apartment and starting the evening routine.

* * *

**Uh-oh, looks like Ash is starting to feel the pressure too. Can he keep a cool head through all this, or will he crack under the strain? The answers will be revealed as we continue.**

** This chapter was tough to write, and I hope I didn't go overboard with their conversation. It was half-obvious in the last chapter, but I didn't want to be too overt in their intentions. (Now I just realized that I'm gonna have to write **_**another**_** extra chapter to accommodate new events and set up the next transition, but hey, life as a writer). Also, for those hoping to see the new baby, it's gonna be a while yet. The waiting's just the hardest part, am I right?**

** Alright, standard operating procedure is in effect. Please read, REVIEW and tell me how it went! Have a happy and safe New Year, and until next time, **_**nam**__**á**__**ri**__**ë**_**!**


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